The Fake Proposal
by TwistedKitsune
Summary: Hinata's famous boyfriend, Naruto, proposes on TV—only, not to her! Tenten convinces her to pretend they were engaged. Let him explain the huge mess. But what's she to do when Kiba, a -cute- vet, seems to see through her elaborate lie? NaruHina KibaHina
1. Chapter 1

Oh my god, first person point of view **and** a female main character? Well, since I'm a girl, I thought it would be nice to actually write about some girl characters. Plus, a little experimenting never hurts, right? Oh, and I promise I won't talk as much later on (well, I'll try…).

**Warnings:** Antagonist! Naruto (I'm serious! Well, not bad '_bad'_, just probably won't be your favorite character in this story. It's all through the story.)—_OoC! Hinata (stutter eliminated, partly because it's just her thoughts and partly because I can't write well using a stutter all the time since it would be hard to read)._ In fact, it might by OoC everyone.

Oh, and, I'm only 14 years old (I know I'm not supposed to put that online, but I figured it wouldn't matter since my real name appears nowhere on the site) so I only know vague things about proposals and marriages. I'll make the best guess I can and hope that it's close to accurate. Wish me luck!

**Disclaimer:** Kishimoto lives in my head and told me I owned Naruto. But then these people in white coats told me he was lying and gave me a shot.

* * *

**The Fake Proposal** _Chapter 1_

* * *

My favorite story of all time would have to be Sleeping Beauty. I mean, look at it. She just gets put under spell by an evil witch and falls asleep for a hundred years. A prince comes up, kisses her and they get married. She didn't even have to do anything. She just lay around the whole time asleep—got a very long beauty rest.

My life is pretty much the opposite of that.

Many times I find myself wondering. Is it just me? Maybe guys just don't find me attractive.

But I've been asked out plenty of times. They tell me that I looked really pretty. They say that they love my hair. Though it isn't anything special, just a plain dull black. They find my personality "fascinating". (Really, I don't know if that's a compliment or not. They could have meant I was weird, for all I could tell and that it was just entertaining to them.)

But every time, we would go on maybe four or five dates. We would talk about random things. Maybe a few likes and dislikes, and their past girlfriends. We would have a pretty decent time on each date. Not bad, but not extremely impressionable either…just decent. After a few dates, I would never hear from them again.

* * *

My only dream in life is to get married. I don't know if it will happen though, at this rate. It's like I'm destined to die alone. Oh, I sound like Neji (my brother).

* * *

I don't know what's wrong. I diet to keep my figure nice and dress nicely for everything. I use just enough make-up to look nice in a more subtle, natural way than most women do. (If you look at the women on the streets, many of them wear an insane amount of make-up, and some of them look quite obvious. Then when they go and take it off, it's a scary difference.)

I learned how to cook, which I have to say, my cooking isn't all that bad. I don't eat desserts, and act pleasant to the family.

I fetch his beer when he asks for it, laugh at his jokes—whether they are funny or not—, and listen to his problems and offer pretty good advice. I'd have to say I acted like a pretty good girlfriend.

It's like something about me just screams not to marry me.

* * *

I wish my life could be just like Sleeping Beauty.

* * *

My best friend, Tenten, she's got a great life. She's a successful lawyer, and she doesn't worry at all about a family. She has five younger siblings, ranging from a three to seven years, I think. She's taken care of them since she was around twelve in her mother's place and feels that taking care of them was much more than she ever needs to experience of raising a family.

She'd rather drive around in her new car than think about children. She told me on more than one occasion that being married would just mean a lot of diapers, stress, and used up time and money. And that her husband would just stay long enough to get her pregnant to have more kids.

I kind of admire her unique take of marriage. I guess, in a way, it kind of makes sense. It's why she's my best friend. She's always able to see things in a different light.

But I have to disagree with her. Having a family is much more than that. Having children, seeing them succeed and lead a happy life. That's what it's about. The pride you get when they show you their first 'A' or when they manage to learn to walk or, later on, ride a bike. The happiness you feel when they tell you that they love you, or thank you for what you've done for them. Or when they're little, and they draw a picture of you.

* * *

Many of my friends are married already; it's a bit depressing for me.

For example, there's Temari and Shikamaru. That was the most interesting wedding of my friends.

We had to literally drag him to the wedding. He claimed getting married was too "troublesome" (and got hit on the head by Temari when he got there).

I swear I heard the minister laugh when for his "I do" he preferred to say "Troublesome, but I do." No one but Tenten believes me. I know she saw it too. She was snickering silently the whole time. It was quite fun, and after, we went to eat at home instead of a pricey restaurant.

They have two kids, both girls. As much as Shikamaru claims women are too troublesome, he loves and spoils them.

Who else is there?

Well, there's also Naruko**(1)** and Sai. They surprised me. I never thought those two would stop arguing with each other. They have three kids (a bit too much loving there, maybe?)

Also, Gaara and Matsuri got married recently. I personally think that they are perfect for each other. No kids just yet. They're still having trouble deciding on it.

Many others also got married, like Chouji—who has a really sweet personality if you could just look past his eating habits— and Shino, though I haven't met their partners yet.

Only Tenten, Ino, and I are left. Tenten, of course, will never get married, so technically just Ino and me.

Ino works hard on it. She's an amazing size zero and goes to clubs often to see if she can pick up someone. I don't think it's a good idea; what if it's some poor scum trying to take advantage of her? She doesn't listen to me though.

She spends hundreds on skin care, and, as a result, her skin is flawless. I don't get why she doesn't have anyone yet.

She was the most popular in school, both middle and high. Even in elementary, kids loved her and wanted to play with her. Maybe she used up all her charm too early in her life?

Her favorite books are on three things: dating, men, and weddings. Or I guess 'dating' and 'men' kind of go together.

Her favorite saying for future brides?

_Make sure your wedding dress is much prettier than the bridesmaid dresses. That way, there's no chance he'll run off with someone else._

Only it wasn't worded as nicely.

I started to think that maybe I was doomed to be single for life. Unmarried, kid less…an old cat lady, probably.

Then I met him.

I work at a college as a professor and take interviews for students that want to enter. It's a bit boring sometimes, but I make a decent income. It's also a bit interesting on what they would say just to try to win me over and let them in.

His name is Naruto. You know… blond hair, blue eyes? He's hot—for lack of better words. An English professor… and funny thing is he's also English. An English English professor. Yeah…

Well, anyways, he wants to be a writer, and I personally think he would be great. I read some of his writing, and they are pretty deep and captivating.

Though, his female characters come across a bit as weak—shy, stuttering, constant blushing. I think he pretty much used what I used to be like. I'm not admitting that to him though, that would be pretty embarrassing.

Everyone has a crush on him, students and teachers alike.

He has a great personality. He's optimistic and has a bright aura around him. He can make anyone smile.

I think that's what drew me in. Not the superficial thought of he's just good looking. He's more than that. He's got personality, likes, dislikes, and all.

He chose me, though. I know. I was shocked too. It wasn't the best scenario for being asked out —I tripped and fell onto him. I apologized profusely, and probably caused a bit of a scene. He just chuckled and then he asked me to dinner to make up for crashing into him and scattering his papers everywhere—but I was happy nonetheless.

We went on a second date soon after that, then a third.

Then, before I knew it, we hit our seventh, and we were still going strong.

He had a tendency of taking me to large restaurants or having a home cooked meal. Never a fast food or simple little restaurant.

I didn't complain. He always complimented my cooking, and it left me feeling extremely bubbly and happy inside.

* * *

In the summer, we would go to the beach. It was soothing, pleasant. The warm sand, the crash of the waves, watching the sunset. We had a picnic on a hill not too far away, close enough so that I could still smell the ocean breeze.

Oh, we did all the clichés, but sometimes, you just need a bit of cheesiness in your life.

One time he entertained me by telling me pick up lines he used in the past—which was a lot. Kind of surprising, because he wouldn't really need it. He would just have to walk up to a girl and they would swoon.

We spent Christmas at his family's every year. Champagne, telling stories. His family liked me well enough.

My mom liked him, said he was perfect for me. My dad…he was a bit uncertain, but welcomed him after a few visits and lectures from my mom.

They keep asking us when we'll get married, and Naruto would just laugh it off. "Soon," he would always reply. How soon is 'soon', though?

* * *

It's been three years since we started, and I have loved every day of it. But even after all this time, he still hasn't asked me. I don't want to come across as desperate though.

The only diamonds I received so far was a black and white diamond patterned handbag for my birthday.

I never pressure him though. Talk about marriage can scare off even the best of men. I wasn't going to stoop to a low level.

One person at my old job faked being pregnant just to try to force her boyfriend into guilt so that he would ask her to marry him. Her loser boyfriend ended up going out to get some breakfast and groceries and never coming back.

That was her fault, but she cried to me for days. And me being me, well, I comforted her. Now she thinks I'm her best friend. I don't really even know her that well. It's fine, though. At least I was able to help someone. Though I do wish she wouldn't come to me with some of her more…private problems. Like telling me about her sex life. That was just plain uncomfortable.

Although Naruto and I aren't married, our bonds are as close as a married couple. I don't think it really matters much if we have a large wedding.

He asked me sometimes if I ever thought about getting married.

I always answered "A bit, but I'm not sure yet." He's scared of making a commitment, so if I answered yes, he might have gotten a bit panicky.

Naruto has been kind of busy anyways, what with being a professor and working on his writing.

His book called Beauty landed on the top bestsellers list, and he's been getting quite famous for it. Interviews on TV, magazines, and similar things.

Beauty was about a girl, Kira, who was gorgeous and used to getting anything she wanted, boys included. She sets her sights on one guy who refuses her, to her annoyance. Through the story, which is in Kisho's point of view (Kisho is the male character) she slowly changes personalities and becomes more aware of how she acted and with her change of personality, she wins him over. A few years later, he asks her to marry him, only for her to die in an accident just after, much to his despair.

I loved the story (though I had to help him a bit with Kira's personality change; he made her from an independent but mean girl into an innocent naïve sounding girl, which just doesn't make sense).

* * *

My cell phone rang. It's just the annoying, normal ring of a phone. I never got around to changing it into something more personal. I flipped it open and took the call.

"Hello? This is Hinata," I greeted.

"Hinata! Turn on the TV to channel 12! Naruto is on." My mother. She _always_ alerts me about his interviews. I sighed.

"Sure, mom."

I turned it to Channel 12, and, sure enough, he was there. Sitting next to him was the host, Momori.

"_And we're back! So, Naruto, your book __Beauty__ is the bestseller of all time. Everyone knows that, and I doubt there's someone out there who hasn't read it. While it's fascinating and all, there's one question that has been on my mind for a while."_

_Naruto chuckled._

"_Sure, Momori, anything. As long as it's not too personal."_

Well…he sure is acting very friendly to her.

_She leaned forward, and so did the audience._

"_Well, you know how in your book, near the end Kisho proposes to Kira?"_

"_Yeah," he answered after a slight pause._

"_Do you ever plan on proposing to your own 'Kira'? Provided that the tragic end won't happen." They both laughed a bit._

"_Of course," he answered._

I think my jaw dropped open in surprise.

"_Well how about it?"_

"_Hmm?" He tilted his head in confusion._

"_Why don't you propose to her right now, on national television? She's going to love that, won't she?"_

_He smiled that brilliant smile of his._

"_Can I really?" _

_She nodded eagerly. He turned towards the camera._

"_My Kira—you know who you are. I love you so much, you know that, right? No matter where I am, I can never stop thinking about you. I love your laughter, your smile, everything."_

_Momori's eyes were wet with tears._

"_You're the example of perfection; you're too good for me. And yet you stay with me anyways. I don't deserve you. Whenever we're apart, all I can think of is how much I want to see you, to talk to you."_

Really?

It's touching and all, but he could just call if he wanted.

"_So, my Kira. Will you marry me? You'll make me the happiest man alive."_

I can hear the girls in the audience squealing. I swear my face will break in half from my huge smile.

Waiting all this time was worth it.

"_She said yes?"_

Momori's voice blasted from the TV.

I turned my head in surprise. What?

_Naruto nodded happily, a faint blush on his cheeks. If you didn't look too closely you wouldn't be able to see it. _

"_I can't believe it!" he said. "She actually said yes!"_

I did not say yes.

Oh. My. God. He…!

'_Congratulations!' could be heard from many people. Naruto couldn't stop smiling, and neither could Momori. She wished him the best and hoped they would have a great life together._

What just happened?

* * *

**(1) **Naruko is in no way related to Naruto. I just needed a girl for Sai, so yeah…

You can tell the difference between the TV and Hinata's thoughts, right?

Oh! And it's centered on Hinata/Naruto/Kiba (later on) and Tenten (since she's her best friend) so the other people won't appear much, or even at all.

Beauty the book is, of course, not real; and will only appear probably one or two more times.

* * *

I think this chapter came out okay. The chapters should get gradually longer.

**Writing tips **and** suggestions for improvement **would be** appreciated. **I warned you that people would be out of character, so please don't leave comments like 'Oh, Hinata doesn't sound anything like herself' (and that's probably nicer than what some might prefer to say). Thanks.

Questions? Review so I'll remember to add in the answers to the next chapter.

Also, does anyone have a** good/unique dog name? (Include the gender please.) **I need a dog to make a connection to Kiba.

* * *

**Random Question Time!**

**Have you ever:**

**1) Pretended to do a Rasengan (and probably had people stare at you weirdly)?**

**2) Imagined yourself as a character in ****Naruto****?**

**3) Tried to steal ****Naruto**** from Kishimoto and found yourself in jail?**

**4) Got in trouble with anything ****Naruto**** related (whether it be staying up too late reading, watching, or writing, or talking/drawing excessively in class…or just because you live somewhere where they don't appreciate the awesomeness of ****Naruto****, etc.)?**

Feel free to answer on your own free will. (No, I am not threatening you. I just **like** holding this gun.)


	2. Chapter 2

I'm **so** sorry it took so long. My brother took my laptop, and I was happy everything was saved onto a USB. I dug out my old laptop, only to realize that **there was no Word** program, and….

Anyways, this is chapter two. For the puppy's name, I did a variation of **KabeHinata-lover2**'s suggestion—"Anzu" instead of "Anzen". (Anzu is a female name that means apricot, and I was thinking of a puppy that was a beige/tan/peach color.)

* * *

"_My Kira—you know who you are. I love you so much, you know that, right? No matter where I am, I can never stop thinking about you. I love your laughter, your smile, everything."_

Who is his 'Kira'? I can't get the question—or the proposal—out of my head.

"_You're the example of perfection; you're too good for me. And yet you stay with me anyways. I don't deserve you. Whenever we're apart, all I can think of is how much I want to see you, to talk to you."_

Who was it, that while we were together for these **three** years, that he was always thinking of; who he was always missing?

Why hasn't he called yet? He should have called me by now, shouldn't have he? At least to explain, right?

I grabbed my phone and called Tenten. It rung loudly, and then I heard a click of someone picking up.

"Tenten?"

"Hinata? Is that you?"

"Yeah."

"You're not talking to Naruto?"

"No." My throat seemed to tighten painfully. She was quiet for a bit.

"I'll be right over. Don't do anything."

"O-okay…" She hung up, and I did the same.

You know? Naruto **needs **me. If you had seen the first draft of Beauty, you would understand. It was _horrible_. If I hadn't edited it for him, it would have _never_ been a bestseller. It probably wouldn't even have sold.

His character, Kira, was just really hard to believe. Nothing he wrote about her made sense. His writing career is doomed without me.

Who am I kidding? 'Kira' is probably very talented in everything, including writing. She'll help him; they'll become rich, get married, and then have many kids.

In the middle of my sudden depression I heard a knock at my door. I didn't feel like moving. If it was Tenten…well, she had a key anyways. She could let herself in.

"Hinata, you here?" I raised my head a fraction of an inch and mumbled something random.

"Aw, Hinata," she murmured, stroking my back. She took a seat on the couch to the right of the loveseat I was sitting on. "He hasn't called yet?"

"We were perfect together!" I wailed. "Whenever someone talked about us, it was always about both of 'us', not just me or Naruto. We had something special!" I had no idea what I was talking about, but I kept on going.

"Shh, Hinata. I know, I know."

"No one was as close as us, and he just goes and proposes to some other girl!"

We sat in silence for a bit. I rubbed at my eyes as Tenten thought about something.

She stood up abruptly.

"Okay, you know what you need to do? Call him."

"Call him? Why not just wait for him to call me?" I asked.

"See, he's probably trying to avoid you. Put off explaining. He's probably hoping he'll never have to explain it. If you call him, you're _forcing_ him to tell you why. There's no way he can just hang up on you, right?"

"Yes, he could! I mean, he just threw away our three years together!"

"Just try it?" I sniffled.

"O-okay. I will." I took a large gulp of air to calm myself down before dialing his number—one that was practically imprinted in my brain.

_Click_.

"Hello?" Oh, God, that voice. It sounded so deep and sexy. I hate it!

"Hey." I managed to make my voice sound cold and detached.

"Hinata! Oh!"

"Yeah, it's me. The one you _didn't propose to_."

There was a long pause, where I could practically hear his mind screaming '_Oh shit!_' before he laughed sheepishly.

"I guess I have to explain, huh?" I could only hope he could feel my expression through the phone, because I was glaring as hard as I possibly could.

"I thought we were always going to be together, but then you go around and propose to some other girl? How long have you been seeing each other, anyways? And did you really think you could get away with it when you propose on live TV?"

"Hinata, babe—"

"Don't. Call. Me. That." I felt like everything flashed red before me.

"Sorry. It wasn't really anything."

"Well?" I heard the rustling of fabric, like he was shrugging. "Did you propose to another girl or not?" I answered his silent question.

"Look, it's not really a good time to—"

"Did you, or did you not?" I asked through my clenched teeth.

"Hinata, now is _really_ not a good time to be talking about this—"

"Did you, or did you not?" I growled.

"I…yes, I did," he admitted with a heavy sigh. I was speechless.

"Wha—" I mumbled out.

"I'm sorry. I never wanted to tell you that. Ever. It's just that you put me on the spot."

Yes. It was all my fault.

My hand clenched into a fist, causing my nails to dig deeply into my palm, hard enough to draw blood. Three long years together and yet he was somehow able to find and fall in love with someone else, enough to want to marry her? I just didn't get it. Why did he stay with me then?

"Who is it?" I asked softly. Tenten raised an eyebrow in question. I pressed the speaker button and set the phone on the table in front of me.

The volume of the phone caused his voice to crackle.

"That really isn't important right now—"

"Who?" I repeated.

"Hinata, please, we can talk about this some other time." Tenten frowned and shook her head.

'_Don't let him avoid answering the question. You need to know,'_ she mouthed. I nodded.

"Naruto," hard to believe it was the first time I said his name so far, "I need to know who."

"I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Who?" I pretty much yelled into the phone. There was another long pause, signifying him thinking deeply, something he usually never does.

"Who she is is not important right now," he finally said.

I clicked my tongue in suppressed anger.

"It is important when we've supposedly been in a relationship. Do you know how it feels to have your boyfriend of three years suddenly admit there was someone else?"

"Supposedly." My mind whirled in confusion.

"What?"

"We were _supposedly_ in a relationship," he said, stressing the word. One of Tenten's eyebrows shot up. I felt sick. I didn't want to hear the rest, but I couldn't move. "I never said I _wanted_ to be in a relationship with you."

"You…" I couldn't form a single thought. The sentence kept ringing through my head.

"I'm really sorry, Hinata. But it isn't her fault, you know? We were just never meant to be."

I sat there in shock, the dial tone echoing through my small apartment. Tenten slowly leaned over and ended the call. She thoughtfully stayed quiet, and let my mind process everything that had been cruelly thrown at me.

What a stupid line. Just because he said that, did he really think that would make it all better? And then to just hang up like that?

He hung up on me! I can't believe it took me so long to realize it! Before I knew it, the phone was back in my hands and my fingers were typing out the number on instinct and pressing the speaker phone button like usual.

He picked up on the first ring.

"Hello?"

"You think you can just say something like that and hang up?" I heard a rustle. "Don't you dare hang up on me!" The rustling stopped. "I just want you to answer a few things. You can do that, right? Please? I kind of deserve a few answers, don't you think?" I almost sounded like I was begging him to say yes. He sighed.

"Okay." I could almost see him running his hand through his golden blond hair. "I'll answer honestly. But don't blame me if you can't handle it." I could almost scoff. How bad could it be? I shut my eyes, trying to gather my thoughts.

"Am I not attractive or something?" I suddenly blurted out. Why, out of everything I wanted to know, would I ask that?

"Wait, what?" Obviously that question took him by surprise, just like to me.

"Why would you pick someone over me, when we've been together for so long?" I rephrased.

"Uh…" He didn't seem to want to answer, but I needed to know. I waited patiently. "I warned you," he finally said.

"Just please…answer…the question."

"I just—Okay. You're more like a little sister to me than a...love interest." I felt my throat constrict.

"Like, since now, or from the very beginning?" I asked. I didn't want to know, yet at the same time I felt I needed to.

He was silent. Oh, God.

"Honestly? From the beginning," he said quietly. "It's just; sometimes things are beyond our control. I wanted to love you in every way possible, but I couldn't. I just couldn't. You have to believe me when I tell you I tried."

I felt hot tears running down my face. My whole body was shuddering from the force of my sobs.

"No, Hina—Hinata! Please don't cry." He sounded like Neji; he panicked whenever I cried.

Oh God, he really did only think of me as a little sister. I cried harder, and Tenten stared at me comfortingly.

"Uh." His voice broke through my crying. I really should stop. My eyes will get annoyingly puffy if I cry any more.

"W-what?" I sniffled.

"Okay, this is going to sound _really_ bad…"

"Just say it! I mean, you already broke my heart twice." I think he flinched from guilt. Good. He should be guilty.

"Can you take care of Anzu please? Just for a few weeks?"

"Your dog. You want me to take care of _your_ dog." I stressed the word 'your' heavily, trying to get my point across. We just broke up, didn't we? Who takes care of their ex-boyfriend's dog? Not anyone I know. "Why would I take care of your dog?" His dog's name is Anzu. She's a cute little puppy—a sort of peach-beige color about the size of a normal cat. I just had a problem with taking care of her after we broke up.

He sucked in a deep, loud breath.

"See, here's the thing. You're not going to like this much either, but…I'm leaving to go to Europe tonight, and I can't just leave her here. And I definitely can't stick her in a dog kennel, you know? And, you love animals, don't you? I just thought it would be perfect, and that maybe you wouldn't be as mad."

"Wait, wait, wait. You're going to _Europe_?"

"Yeah, that's the other bad news." Great, just dump everything on me all at once. What a fabulous idea. "I'm not going to be here. I don't want to put it all on you, but you're going to have to explain it when people ask, since I'll be in Europe. I'll have no way to contact everyone."

"Or, you could just tell everyone before you leave instead of leaving me with your stupid mistake, you know?"

"Sorry, but I have to go early. Can you _please_ take care of Anzu? It would mean so much."

I wanted to reject. I should have rejected.

"Fine."

I just couldn't get Anzu's little face out of my head. Sometimes I hate my personality. The need to help anyone in I could that was in need; sometimes it was less than helpful.

"Thanks, hon—" I cut him off with a soft growl. "Thanks, Hinata."

The dial tone once again filled the room. At least this time I felt a faint feeling of satisfaction, of knowing a few answers.

It was over. We were over. Three years—gone.

The following silence was painful though.

"You know, with all the cry I'm surprised your eyes haven't puffed up so badly that you can't see," Tenten's voice cute through the tension.

We stared at each other for a few seconds. Then I burst out laughing, causing Tenten to laugh too. When we finally calmed down, we looked at each other somberly.

"I have to take care of his dog," I found myself saying. Tenten watched me questioningly.

"You sound like you just realized it."

"I did. And I have to explain everything to everyone." I sighed, dropping my head into my hands. "Do you know how embarrassing that will be? 'Oh, no. We're not engaged. He just proposed to some unknown girl to the whole world. I'm so happy for him, you know?'" I mumbled absentmindedly. She snorted quietly. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers loudly.

There was a knock at the door, and I stood to open it—after checking my face in the mirror to make sure my eyes weren't as puffy.

Opening the door revealed _him_ to be standing there. And his cute little puppy.

"Hey, Hinata. Thanks again, so much. I hate to leave her in a dog kennel."

I forced away my anger, locking all deep inside me.

"You're here earlier than I expected."

"Yeah, well, my plane is leaving soon."

The conversation was sliding towards awkwardness. So I took Anzu's leash and tugged her gently in.

"Well have fun in Europe."

"Thanks again for agreeing to take care of her. I know it's kind of awkward, but…"

That didn't even begin to describe it, but I just offered him a nod. Then he was gone, like he had never been there. Okay. Overdramatic.

I turned back to face the couch, hearing Tenten's voice.

"Okay. Okay, okay. You know what you have to do?" She grinned, and I immediately knew something was up—though good or bad, I couldn't tell. "Fake it!"

"Fake it? Wait, fake what?" I led Anzu into the kitchen and poured some water into a random disposable bowl before walking back to my seat.

"If someone asks, tell them that you _are_ engaged. Then, when Naruto gets back, you have _him _explain the mess."

"What? That's—that's crazy! It's never going to work!"

"It will. Trust me. When have I ever steered you wrong?"

I stared at her blankly.

"Uh, well there was _that time_…" She cut me off.

"Never mind. But I promise you, this will work. How hard could it be? I mean, you haven't done _anything_ with your life for the three years you've been together. You've spent the whole time just waiting to get married to him." I mock-sniffled.

"Tenten! I have not! And I can't pretend to be engaged!"

"You keep acting like it's such a big deal!" she said, throwing her hands wildly up into the air while rolling her eyes.

"Because it is! Do you know what people will think when they find out it was fake? They'll think I'm crazy!"

"So what? Who cares what people think? I think you should organize a huge wedding and send the bill to Naruto to pay off. And! And include a note saying that he could either pay it or explain everyone that he cheated on you."

The more I listened, the more I found myself being convinced.

Someone called, and I picked up the phone, clicking the speaker button again (by habit).

"Hello?"

"Hinata, it's Ino~"

"Ino!" I panicked. She is the _biggest_ gossiper.

"I heard that _someone_'s getting married!" she said in a sing-song voice.

Tenten nodded encouragingly. I gulped and shut my eyes.

"Ye—yeah, Ino. I—isn't it great?"

"I'm invited, right?" Her voice was so bright and cheery I found myself cringing away.

"Of course you are! Why wouldn't you be? You're like, one of my good friends." She squealed.

"I have to tell everyone. That's okay with you, right? They'll be so excited!" I had no idea who 'they' were. _'It's perfect!'_ Tenten mouthed.

"Yeah, okay. I have to go, Ino. See you at work?"

"'kay!"

I ended the call, and then turned to Tenten.

"I…Oh my god, I can't…I just lied to Ino!"

"You're going to have to get used to it," she said offhandedly.

What did I just get myself into?

* * *

Don't you just hate Naruto for hanging up in the middle? And then have Hinata care for his dog **and** leave her with the problem of explaining the mess?

Okay, the phone conversations were a bit hard, but I did it! **And sorry for the abruptness of bringing in the dog (as in Naruto suddenly appearing at her door).** But I need little Anzu for later, and I need Naruto out of the country. And if I put the "Naruto bringing Anzu over" scene anywhere else, parts of the story wouldn't make sense. Like when Hinata talked to Ino; he had to leave for Europe or he would probably have heard from Ino that Hinata confirmed their engagement.

I hope you like this because I had to go all the way through and put in Anzu's name and gender.

I'm **way** too tired to proofread, so if you spot spelling or grammar errors, you can tell me if it **really** bugs you and I'll go back and change it.

**Random Question Time!**

**If you saw a dead, bloody person with suspicious looking cuts, would you:**

**1) Scream as loudly as you can.**

**2) Stare uncaringly and then keep on walking.**

**3) Panic and call 811 instead of 911, only to wonder why it doesn't work.**

**4) Hope that it was a ****Naruto**** character and look around excitedly for your favorite person(s).**


	3. Chapter 3

Another chapter!

Almost everyone is OoC, but I tried to retain as much of their personality as possible.

If you notice any mistakes, tell me so I can fix it. Please and thank you.

* * *

"_Well…how about this? You're too nice of a girl to take it as revenge, so why don't you just think of it as a type of therapy. You've wanted to get married so much for so long. If you plan your own wedding, it should release some of that stress and need. Have a little fun!"_

I have no idea where Tenten comes up with these things, but they are _very_ convincing at the time she says it.

It's a little annoying at times—she's convinced me to do some pretty weird stuff with her amazing persuasiveness, which is why she's such a successful lawyer—but I love her anyways.

And if I really thought about it, it did make much more sense than anything else she's tried to convince me to do.

I have been waiting to get married for a long time. It's caused my whole life to go into a standstill.

Planning a wedding does sound fun, anyways.

What could go wrong?

Okay, everything could spiral out of control. But I'm a naturally optimistic girl.

It could make my life go forward again. I think it's worth a shot.

I voiced my opinion to Tenten. She grinned.

"You deserve to be the bride, instead of a stupid bridesmaid yet again. How many of them have you gone to anyways? 12? 13?"

"_Sixteen_."

"God, you're closet must be filled with hideous dresses." I snorted.

"They always listen to Ino. It kind of makes sense though, because I've read about it happening a lot, so it's nice she warns them."

"You listen to that crazy bitch—"

"Tenten!" I reprimanded.

"—and yet you refuse to listen to me, your best friend out of the entire world? And calm down. We're old enough for people to not care."

"Oh stop being so dramatic." I clicked my tongue. "And that mom sure didn't _not care_ when you talked like that next to her kids. I've never seen someone that red—and me being me, well…you know that's saying something." She laughed.

"That's the first time I've ever heard you admit to your excessive blushing."

"Shut up!" I swatted at her playfully. "It's not like I want to blush that much."

"Anyways, if you want this to work you're going to need everyone you can to find out—if they weren't already told by _Ino_."

Ino isn't that bad. Just a little…well, if it were high school she would be the top bitch. (I know I yelled at Tenten for saying it, but it's kind of true.)

"Who to tell, then? I don't want to make a huge amount of phone calls. And wouldn't it sound like bragging if I called everyone I could think of?"

"Hmm, yeah," she hummed thoughtfully. "I guess you should just choose the biggest gossipers. They'll get the word around easily. There's already Ino…Who else likes to gossip?"

"All girls like to gossip." She raised an eyebrow.

"Do you? Do _I_?"

"Uh."

"Yeah, so it's not 'all'." She loves to be right.

I snapped my fingers.

"Hanabi!" Tenten frowned.

"_Hanabi_ likes to gossip?" I giggled.

"No, no. She doesn't exactly gossip with all the gushing and insulting. She just gets the word around quickly."

"You mean she just tells people." I nodded. "Okay, then call her. That should be enough to get it around." I hesitantly dialed the number.

"Nee-chan, is that you?"

"Hey, Hanabi."

"I heard someone's finally getting married!" I can hear excited squeals in the background, most likely from my mother.

Hanabi is married to Konohamaru. Yeah, that's right. My little sister got married before me. I'm happy for her, but it's a slight bit saddening.

I tuned back in and found she was starting to call my mother over.

"Wai—"

"Hinata! Oh, I'm so excited! You're getting married!"

It's weird how the information gets out when I haven't even said anything. Only to one person —Ino— and all I really did was say 'yes'.

Never said the words 'I'm getting married' or anything of vague similarities.

At least it doesn't feel like I'm lying as much. That's a plus, I guess.

"Your father will be so happy. You know he's been waiting for you to find that perfect guy."

"He has?" My father isn't really the emotional type. He prefers to hide everything in him, so I never know what he's thinking.

"Yeah. Oh, I can't _wait_ to plan your wedding." I blinked.

"Well, wait. I'm going to be planning it, aren't I?"

"No, you'll be busy with Naruto. Don't worry; I'll take care of it." She then hung up, probably rushing off to start planning already.

I was all convinced just minutes ago, but now I'm rethinking it—again.

Is this really such a smart idea? If done wrong, well…it would be really _bad_.

Oh well. I've already gone so far; might as well go the whole way.

Anzu trotted over, whining softly.

"Aw, what's wrong?" I cooed gently, ruffling her fur. Even though she was Naruto's, I still loved her. She nudged my leg with her cold nose before dropping a ball at my feet.

"You wanna play?"

I guess she knew the word 'play' because saying the word caused her to bark excitedly. I snapped the leash onto her collar. It was necessary to take her out to a park to play because my apartment really isn't that big. A small kitchen and bathroom, a living room that was also a dining room and where the TV and couches were, and my medium sized bedroom. As in it's enough to live in and have a few nice things placed around. There's also a walk-in closet, but that was transformed into a mini-guest room for when Tenten stays over—which is a lot.

All in all, it's pretty decent in size, enough for a single person to live in comfortably.

So for Anzu, she was just lucky that there was a nice dog park near my building.

On the walk, I started thinking about the wedding (like I haven't been thinking about it the whole time…). I really hate to admit it, but a tiny part of me sort of hoped that Naruto would come back if he heard about the wedding.

I squashed that thought and threw it into an imaginary fire. Though I guess it survived because it still popped up every few minutes.

What I really didn't get was _who_ it was. We spent so long together, and he never went anywhere besides work and interviews—which didn't give him enough time to actually meet and fall in love with anyone.

Work didn't really have anyone of his interests anyways.

Besides Ino, there is no woman under forty. He wouldn't choose Ino anyways, because if he did she wouldn't be able to resist rubbing it in people's faces.

Well, there is that foreign girl who recently was hired. Sasame **(1)**—no one knows her last name for some reason. She has red-orange hair (I guess you could say it was an auburn color, but lighter) and dark brown eyes.

But he wouldn't choose her.

Would he?

She does attract a lot of attention. Almost every guy on campus is after her. I guess it could be her…but wouldn't I have noticed? I'll have to keep an eye on her.

Anzu and I got back home; she was panting a bit from the long walk.

I looked around my apartment. Tenten was still sleeping in my walk-in closet turned guest room.

I remember a while ago, Naruto promised that we would get a house so I wouldn't have to live in this small (well it's decent) apartment. We had actually started to look around a little, but then he got caught up with writing his novel.

I wish we had gotten one; at least I would still have that. There's no way he would be allowed to take it from me.

There is one huge problem with the plan though (I mean, besides the possibility of someone finding out it was all faked and me getting in huge trouble or being diagnosed with some kind of mental illness in believing I was actually engaged).

The problem is the ring. There's no way they'll believe me if I don't have a ring, and I wouldn't be able to put it off very long. I'd have to have one eventually. But rings are really expensive, and I can't afford it.

I hope Tenten has a solution to that.

The doorbell rang, and I walked over quickly. It's a bit impolite to keep someone waiting for long.

Opening it, I saw Neji standing there, holding a bouquet and a box of doughnuts. I licked my lips slightly. The Akimichi's have the best doughnuts in the world.

He invited himself in and handed me the flowers.

"Just because you're engaged doesn't mean you've won our bet."

The bet. A year ago, Neji claimed that Naruto was just playing with me and would never commit.

What happened was that we were at a bar.

That was where they first met. I always had the ridiculous dream that they would meet and become the best of friends. Well.

They met. And all their tastes were different. They liked opposite sports team (I could never really understand it). They liked different music, different bands…Everything was different. Right down to their sense of style.

While Naruto was off getting a dream, I asked Neji to be nice because I thought that Naruto was 'the one'.

He scoffed and told me there was no chance that Naruto would ever be able to do it.

I was so offended that I told him to fuck off. (Both of us were surprised.)

Three hours later I showed up drunk on his doorstep with $250 (all the cash on me) and bet that we would get married. He matched it.

We've been waiting to see who wins. (Technically, he already has, but there's no way I'm admitting it to him because he'll just gloat **and** take my $250.)

"I believe it does," I retorted. "I mean, I'm already engaged." Not. But he doesn't know.

I reached for the Akimichi brand doughnuts, but he pulls it just out of my reach.

"You'll want to fit into your wedding dress, won't you?" I hit his shoulder lightly.

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

He turned away quickly, and at just that moment, Tenten came out pulling a shirt over her body.

"Tenten, why don't you get dressed **before** you come out?" I wondered.

"Hm. I didn't know you had company." She grabbed a doughnut. I tried to reach for one again.

"Ah-ah! Your wedding is three months away, Hinata," she chided.

"Three months? Since when?" Shouldn't they inform the bride before choosing a date? "Isn't that too soon?" She shrugged.

"Why do you care so much?"

Oh. I almost forgot that I'm not actually going to get married.

Tenten and Neji were arguing about some senseless things.

"Eat that and you'll be halfway to gaining another pound."

I'm not even sure what their talking about. Probably the doughnuts.

Tenten threw Neji a dirty look.

I just wish that they could at least tolerate each other. They've been arguing since they first met, which was—oh…somewhere in seventh grade I think.

Neji works as a home realtor. A good job and his looks probably help him with convincing women (I've been told by countless people that he's 'hot'. But he's my brother, so me thinking that is just plain weird).

I think he's a bit insecure, what with Tenten being a really successful lawyer. So he feels the need to argue with her.

Or my mom just rubbed off on him.

My mom _really_ doesn't like Tenten. She doesn't like Tenten's job (says it's not right to make a living out of suing people, some of who are probably innocent).

She doesn't like all the weird and (what she calls) inappropriate things that Tenten knows.

She doesn't like the way Tenten talks (she says Tenten is rude and uses bad language).

But mostly she just hates how loud Tenten is.

"Neji, bring me some coffee, would ya? Hinata's coffee tastes like shit; even the dog won't touch it!" she yelled. A perfect example of her loudness, considering that my apartment is so small you can talk in a normal voice and people can hear you from anywhere.

"It does not!" I hissed at her. "And dogs don't even eat or drink coffee in the first place." I don't know if that's true, but I've never seen a dog go near any before.

Neji walked to the living room (or just the main room) holding an espresso.

"Mmm," he taunted, taking a sip. "Tastes nice. Too bad you can't have any."

Tenten walked over and snatched it from his hands before taking a huge gulp. Then she walked off with a smug 'Thank you' while Neji tried to get it back.

Neji is usually so calm and emotionless. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that he liked Tenten. Not possible though, right?

"Hinata, are you sure you want to get married to him?" I nodded.

"Of course!" I watched him suspiciously. "You better not be trying to talk me out of it."

"Well, just—are you sure he's the best choice?"

Tenten took a huge last gulp of the coffee before letting out an 'ahh' of satisfaction.

"Neji, you should be happy for your sister!"

"I am! It's just…I think it's too soon." I raised an eyebrow slightly.

"I've been waiting for **three years**."

"Yeah, but are you sure he's right?"

"Stop being so overprotective." I waved him off. _It's not like we're really getting married,_ was best left unsaid. He scowled. Ah. That's the Neji I know and love.

"Marriage for men is great," he started. Tenten and I groaned. He always had a speech for everything. "But for women, marriage is torture. Taking care of kids, shopping, keep the house in order, hold a job. And keep themselves sexually attractive."

"Neji!" I whined, my face bright red. Tenten, on the other hand, is glaring at him with such intensity it looks as if it could burn right through him.

"This is the twenty-first century!" she screams. "Men and women are equal! Many women even out-earn their husband! It doesn't have to be the male taking care of financials while the women take care of domestic things!"

"Then if it's so great, how come you aren't married?" came the reply from Neji. She calms down considerably.

"I haven't met the right guy." We all know it's a lie. She's never one for commitment, only dating for fun (And sometimes just so they can buy her things). Neji snorted.

"Liar. You've probably worked your way through every man within your age range. You're not getting married for the reasons I said."

She glanced away.

"Not exactly," she said, defeated.

I know the true reason. And it's exactly as Neji said it. She doesn't want to go through all of it. The four Ds, she calls it. Diaper, Day Care, Dinner, and Depression. (I laughed when she told me that at first; only to find out she was serious.)

"It is true," he claims with a smirk. "If you tell people, they'll look at you oddly. But if I tell people, I'll suddenly be the one to catch."

"You have the biggest ego on Earth," Tenten muttered.

"That's not the only thing I got that's big."

"Neji!" I exclaimed, horrified. My face burned. I think it even reached my arms.

* * *

(1) Sasame is indeed a real character (in the anime); it was when Jiraiya, Sakura, and Naruto went to the Land of Rice Fields in search of Orochimaru's hideout.

It's a little shorter than I planned…my bad.

**Sorry, no **Random Question (My mind is too jumbled up to think about any)**, but…**

**Press 1 if you want a cookie.**

**Press 2 if you want ice cream.**

**Press 3 if you want cake.**

**Press 4 to mix it together and create and ice cream cake with cookies sprinkled on top (**wtf? Yeah, I don't know.)

**If they don't work, try the review button.**

(I saw something like this on another fic…now I just wish I could find who wrote it…shoot.)


	4. Chapter 4

I just noticed that KibaHina pairing isn't as popular as I though it should be. I think. If I compare how many stories there are to how many Naruto stories there are in total, well…it's only a tiny bit.

Thanks so much for your reviews! It really helps to know that people enjoy my story.

Kiba makes an appearance! Finally, huh? And as you can see, Hinata **really** hates lying.

Oh and it took a while, but that's 'cause I missed my friends (summer break…) so I've been going out a lot. I managed to fit writing this into my week though, so enjoy.

* * *

Neji and Tenten started arguing again. I've long learned that listening to them only brings a headache, so I let them ramble.

"Neji! Why are you here?" I finally cut in. He looked surprised.

"What, a brother can't visit his little sister?" I laughed slightly.

"You never visit. We always go out somewhere. So why are you here?" He grinned at me.

"Remember that house I showed you last time?" I thought back. When he was in charge of selling a particularly nice house, he always invited me to look at it first in case Naruto and I wanted it.

Currently, he was waiting for a person to finish up with their remodeling for a house. I remember it was built in either 1981 or 1982. It was a huge, spacious house, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a dining room. The master bedroom had a nice walk-in closet (since I can't afford a better place, I usually end up buying a large amount of clothes) and there was a terrace from the living room. The kitchen was incomplete though.

"It's a nice one," I pondered. "But what is it…$400,000?" He shook his head.

"Try half a million." I nearly choked. "It's a really good price too. If the kitchen and bathrooms are completed, it could go up to a hundred thousand more."

"I don't think I can afford that…"

Naruto and I almost bought a house before. It was a decent sized house with three bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room, and a small kitchen.

It was a perfect place to live. I slyly pointed out that one of the bedrooms could be transformed into an office area where he could write. (Though secretly I thought it would look better as a nursery.)

I couldn't afford it though, not on my salary. But if Naruto helped to pay, we could manage to afford it, and with his book about to be published, that would bring in extra money.

We took a tour of the house, and I fell in love with it. I could already see us throwing parties in the fall, curled up in the living room drinking hot chocolate in the winter. In the spring, there would be the nice little garden outside along with walks through the nearby park. The summer would be spent lazing around, getting to know neighbors, and just having fun.

I got so into my fantasy that I could pretty much see everything in its rightful place; me in the kitchen cooking a nice dinner while Naruto was typing his newest novel. I could almost even feel the dirt from the garden or the heat of the hot chocolate (not to mention the smell wafting from the mug). That was when I decided that it had to be mine.

Naruto was busy working on his book when I burst into his room rambling about the house, from the yard to the kitchen to the office—the office was important to mention— to the garden and how in the winter we could be drinking hot chocolate in the living room with our children, playing games.

As he listened, I saw his smile slowly drop into a frown, and I stopped in confusion.

"You like it, don't you?" I asked hesitantly. He sighed, all the while continuing to type.

"I'm not ready yet." I laughed confusedly.

"Ready? What do you mean not ready?"

"I'm not ready to make that commitment yet."

"What…what do you mean? Like, you need to work on your story?" It sounded naïve, but I was trying to make the best of the situation. He paused (and at the time, I conveniently ignored it).

"Yeah." It was only two or three weeks before it was due, so I just had to last until the deadline was over.

After the deadline was over, I brought up the subject again. But it seemed as if he always had something to do, and by the time I brought it up again it was already sold. I very nearly cried over it, but then told myself that I could always find another one that was more perfect. Besides, the time just wasn't right then.

I saw the half million house once before, when Neji took Tenten and me to visit. I really liked it, but it's way out of my budget. It was a really rare find, though.

"Naruto and you should get that house, Hinata!" Tenten exclaimed. Naruto and me? What, is she on crack?

"Aha, Tenten...I don't think _Naruto_ would really want the house," I said, stressing his name while shooting a death glare at her. She was unfazed.

"It's a beautiful house! He would be an idiot to turn it down."

"Yes he would," Neji interrupted.

"He is not an idiot!" I defended weakly.

"Why would he reject that house then?" Neji asked.

"Uh," I held up on finger. "Give me a second, Neji?" I tugged Tenten away to my room before she could protest.

"What do you think you're doing?" I hissed after checking to make sure Neji couldn't hear.

"What do you mean?" she asked with an oh-so-innocent look on her face.

"You _know_ that Naruto and I can't buy the house!"

"What? Why?" I hit my forehead in annoyance.

"Because there _is_ no Naruto and I! Or did you forget about the plan you came up with?" I was seriously freaking out. Then she laughed.

"Just messing with you!" I scowled (though she always says it looks more like a pout) and whacked her.

"Tenten!" I yelled (quietly, so Neji couldn't hear).

"Okay, okay, sorry. It won't hurt to look though, will it?" Tenten tried to persuade me again. I frowned thoughtfully.

"What if Neji is insistent that I buy it?"

"Say you guys just can't afford it?"

"Fiiiiine," I said, stretching out the word as much as I could. "I mean, I already lied so much. How bad could one more be?" I said, trying to guilt her.

"Exactly!" I sighed. She didn't get it at all. Either that or she's just pretending to be dense. The latter sounds more probable.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go." I pulled her back to the living room.

Neji was sitting on the couch watching TV. Only he was able to make something so simple look so elegant.

"So? You decided?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the show.

"Yup! Let's go!" Tenten exclaimed, like usual. Neji gathered his stuff and they headed to the door.

"Wait!" I yelled. They froze. "We're just _looking_. Okay?" Neji chuckled.

"There's no way you'll just leave it there after you see it. If you wait, it'll be gone. Once it hits the market, it'll be gone just like that," he said with a snap of his fingers.

"I think I'll take my chances," I said. There was no way I would end up with it.

We got into his car (he has a really nice car) and he drove us to the house. Right on the lawn, there was a large post with a board attached proclaiming that the house would be for sale soon. It was owned by a girl named Koyuki Kazahana, an actress and model.

We wandered through the house, and I saw the unfinished kitchen. Tenten was looking around excitedly. She always liked buying things.

"This place is _nice_. I bet there's mold or something, huh?" she called out.

"Nope, no mold. Though it has no bathtub. It's fine, though; Hinata has gotten herself to look perfect even at a campsite. She'll cope." I raised an eyebrow.

"We haven't gone camping." Neji paused.

"We haven't? Then what was that time…" His eyes lighted up with realization. "Oh…" I felt it was best left unsaid.

"Wait, why is there no bathtub?" I wondered.

"I think she threw them out. She wanted to replace them, I think." Neji shrugged.

Tenten sighed with a slightly dreamy look on her face. "Man, this place is gorgeous!" Her fingers brushed over the couch before she sank down with a sigh. "Wow, this couch is so soft. You have to buy this place."

"We're only looking," I reminded, shooting a glare at her, daring her to bring up Naruto.

"Yeah, yeah." Her eyes started to flutter closed, and she snuggled deeper into the couch.

"Tenten, we're not here to sleep…" I sighed.

She stood up. "Why can't you get this place? It's awesome, and I can stay over!" I rolled my eyes.

"You have your own house. Why can't you stay there?"

"But I'm lonely there!"

"And I can't afford this, remember?" I finished.

"Why don't you ask mom and dad for money?" Neji cut in. "They helped pay for Hanabi and Konohamaru's house."

"That won't pay for much. I mean they gave what, twenty thousand, probably?" He snorted in a surprisingly graceful manner.

"Try two hundred." I choked, not knowing how to reply. I was speechless. Tenten wasn't, though.

"Two hundred thousand? Holy shit, that's a lot of money!" she shouted.

"Yeah. They'll be happy to help pay for a house for you and Naruto," Neji said. Notice how he said Naruto? They wouldn't give me that kind of money if I was single. They lived to see their children get married.

I stared at the kitchen. With that money, there would be plenty left over to redo the kitchen the way I wanted it. White cabinets and maybe the counters would be made of granite or marble. Hardwood floor for easy cleaning, and a nice table and matching chairs to look neat.

What am I thinking? That would cost a fortune.

"Come on, let's go. I left Anzu at home. She's probably hungry by now. Besides, there's nothing left to look at."

"So are you going to get it?" Neji asked. I shook my head.

"No way, that's way too much for me."

We got into the car and he started driving. He kept casting glances at me. And again. And again.

"What!" I snapped. It was getting on my nerves and making me feel a bit self-conscious.

"You sure you don't want it?"

"I _told_ you I can't afford it." He shrugged and turned his eyes back to the road. After about ten or fifteen minutes, we finally got back to my apartment. I fumbled with the keys before managing to open the door. I was greeted with a loud whine. I walked over to the kitchen, and there was a bottle of aspirin tipped over, and some pills scattered on the ground.

"Shit!" I yelped before covering my mouth with my hand. "Neji! Help! What do I do?" He walked in and saw the pills.

"What happened?" Anzu went up to him, whining softly and nudging his hand with her nose.

"I think she knocked it over, and she might have eaten some."

"Get him to a vet, duh!" Tenten said. "Just get the vet to check her out, see if she ate any."

"I don't know any vets!" I was still freaking out. I felt responsible for possible poisoning a dog. If I had just remembered to put the bottle away…

"I do." Tenten and I stared at Neji. "What?"

"Neji, you don't even _have_ a pet," Tenten pointed out.

"I know, stupid." Tenten glared at him. "My friend is a veterinarian. His place is pretty close to here."

"Well?" I asked.

"Well what?" He gave me a confused look and I resisted the urge to hit my forehead.

"Can you hurry up and take us there?"

* * *

I sat in the waiting room nervously. Every few minutes I would get up and move to a different chair. My thoughts moved to the vet. She had long brown hair tied up into a ponytail with long (but not very many) bangs in front of her face. She had a red triangular tattoo on either side of her cheeks. She said her name was Hana. Something about her reminded me of someone but I just couldn't remember who.

"Neji! Hey! What are you doing here?"

There stood a man with short messy brown hair and tattoos similar to Hana's tattoos. His eyes turned to me and he gave a smirk that could pass off as a smile to people who didn't know any better. My skin prickled. Now I remembered.

* * *

"_Come on, Hinata, you have to go out more." I pulled my wrist out of Neji's hand._

"_I'm more than capable of walking myself. And why do we have to go to a club?"_

"_That band you like is playing. What was it called…That 'Mars' thing." I raised an eyebrow._

"_30 Seconds to Mars?" He nodded. I groaned. "Fine. But _only_ because they're playing." They were my favorite band out of anything I had ever listened to._

_We arrived at the club, and sat down in one of the booths. I listened to them happily. Then I saw someone coming towards us. Brown hair, brown eyes, and odd red triangular tattoos on his face. I had never met him before, but he obviously recognized one of us._

"_Oh, hey Kiba," Neji greeted._

"Maybe tonight we can forget about it all. It could be just like heaven…"

_Right at those lyrics (They were singing 'The Fantasy') he turned to me and gave me a smirk. It annoyed me. It gave off the feeling that he felt he could get any girl he wanted. And that I was just another one of them._

_What's worse was that I felt myself being drawn to him. That smirk was just so damn sexy.

* * *

_

Suffice to say, our first meeting wasn't the best. "Why is he here?" I asked Neji.

"I'm a vet." I stared at him with an annoyed expression.

"Well I was asking _Neji_ but okay," I said, stressing my brother's name. He just smiled. I then noticed that Tenten was staring at him. She pulled out her business card.

"I don't think we've met before. I'm Tenten." She handed him her card. "Call me if you need anything. I'm also a terrific lawyer." I sighed mentally. Of course she would like him.

"I don't really need a lawyer right now," Kiba said, glancing at the card. Did he _not_ hear what she said?

"Well yeah, but the…_service_ I was thinking about isn't exactly legal in nature."

"Tenten!" I hissed quietly. "Stop that! He's not even worth it." He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not? People always seem to like me though." I glared at him again.

"Hey, he's hot. Worth a shot." Tenten grinned at me. "I get bored sometimes, you know?" We were all silent, not knowing how to respond.

Hana finally walked out, and I was glad for a new topic.

"How's Anzu?" I crossed my fingers behind my back, hoping that everything was okay.

She smiled. "Oh, she's fine. She only ate one aspirin." Tenten nudged me.

"Thank god, huh? What would Naruto do if you killed his dog?"

"Oh yeah. Kiba, you remember Naruto, right?" Neji asked.

"Well yeah. That guy your little sister has been dating for…three years?"

"They're engaged now."

"Oh, really?" His stare was a bit unsettling. "He didn't seem like much of a guy to want to commit to anyone." I fidgeted a tiny bit. "I would have thought that he would have broken up with her instead." My face flamed up.

"Hey! That's not true! We _are_ engaged!" I smiled triumphantly at him. I don't know why, but I always felt the need to prove myself to him.

"Hm. How did he propose?" My mind went blank. I suddenly couldn't remember anything.

"He proposed…" It rushed back to me. "on TV. He was being interviewed and they asked him if he had someone special, and…he just proposed," I finished lamely. I stood up and walked to the restrooms, taking a deep breath in the halls. Someone's hand suddenly rested on my shoulder, and I jumped before whirling around.

"What?" I demanded quietly. He smirked (again). This one said 'I know your little secret'.

"You're not engaged, are you?"

"I-I am, too!" I frowned mentally at my stutter. That was so not convincing.

"Hm, you are? Well then where's your ring?" I racked my brain for an answer.

"He…wanted to take me to the store to pick out my own." He gave me a skeptical look but dropped the topic and nodded before walking back to the waiting room.

I was so worried about the house. But now I have bigger worries—like if Kiba knows that I'm not engaged to Naruto, and whether or not he'll reveal my secret to Neji.

* * *

Ugh. My laptop turned off by itself so the middle became kind of weird, like it doesn't flow because I had to rewrite a big part of it and forgot what it was like.

About the aspirin: I had to have Anzu go to the vet's, and the aspirin toxicity was the easiest to fit into the story. I don't know if I did it completely right; I'm not a vet or even a dog owner, and I certainly have never given a dog aspirin, so I don't know what it's like.

Also, never been to a club. I'm underage, so yep.

**Random Question Time**: (Okay, I get bored, so I just think up things for this…)

Would you…

1) Kill to save yourself/your family/you friends.

2) Kill to hide a secret.

3) Die to save a person who was going to die.

4) Avoid all conflict even if it meant ignoring those who were/are obviously in need of help.

Review? It would make my day…


	5. Chapter 5

Oh wow it's been over a week…Sorry! I've had sleeping problems and it makes me too tired to focus.

Oh and, I do not hate Shino in any way. I actually kind of like him (He's funny…). But I used him as an ex- because…well what parent would like a bug-obsessed guy…?

And oops…I just noticed I changed from past tense to present tense (sort of—or it's more of a mix of the two…). Well…it would take too long to correct, so hope you're okay with it.

And yes, her thoughts say "mother" and "father" but she really calls them "Mom" and "Dad". So what? Thinking "mother/father" seems okay, but saying it sounds a bit too formal.

* * *

I don't want to pretend that I'm engaged anymore. Not only is it stressful—like worrying if people find out—but it's quite stupid. What am I going to do at the wedding?

And it's also not because Kiba knows and how he was standing there with that annoying smirk, his fingers hooked onto his jean pockets which were dangerously low on his hips. Nope, not at all.

I don't want to go around as a single woman though. Tenten might be okay with it, just dating for fun without a thought about marriage. I am not able to do that. It's been planted into my brain that I _have_ to marry. (Thanks, mother.)

At least, I hope that eventually I will find someone who loves me for my mind (because according to Naruto, I'm a failure at sex) and we'll just talk and at night we'll watch TV before going back to our separate beds.

I'm sure we'll be happy. In some weird way...

Okay, honestly, the reason I want to stop the charade is because Kiba might know and if he does, it's only a matter of time before he spills to Neji. I mean, come on, why would he keep a secret for me?

The best way to do this would have to be me confessing that I lied. I will have to come clean. Starting tonight at my parent's house.

Ohh…this is not going to be fun.

* * *

Every Sunday night we have a "family dinner" which is basically a way of my mother's to keep control over us. Us meaning Hanabi, Neji, and me.

For years, she pretty much had a supremacy over us. She was in control of our allowances and the car—which she would withhold from us if we did something wrong or went against her—and her money and extending of curfews if we did what she wanted. (Notice that I didn't say "behaved".)

It could only go on so long before we started leaving though, and Neji was the first one. He left for college. He really only lived down the street from us, but he refused to come home.

She wasn't very happy. She threw huge fits. She threatened him. She pleaded—begged him. You could say she really loved us. I say that she just liked having control over people. (Don't get me wrong, I love my mother. She just happens to feel to need to direct our lives. There's nothing wrong with that…right?)

Then she took an evil turn, baking pies and other sweet and leaving just the smallest slice possible while still giving him a taste of it with a note proclaiming "See what you're missing?" in the pan.

Then she claimed that his dog (Yes, he had a dog. I think it was a terrier.) was suffering from "Boy Abandonment Syndrome." He called Hana, who confirmed there was no such disease—after recovering from her laughing fit from where she nearly stopped breathing.

I was, of course, the next to leave. Neji made sure to warn me about not agreeing to her ridiculous demands of returning every weekend. No matter what she offered me, which happened to be: clean, comfy beds; quiet familiar house; all the sweets I would like including her pies (which were delicious); free cable; free internet; and the list goes on… I nearly agreed at the pies but Neji kept me in check. Then Hanabi came last. She was smart; she fled to the other side of the country. My mother didn't try as hard. I think she was just really exhausted at all the attempts of getting Neji and me back home that she just ran out of things to say. That and the fact that Hanabi didn't have a dog to suffer the imaginary "Girl Abandonment Syndrome."

Everything was going fine. Then we made a fatal mistake. Neji came home after traveling the world, Hanabi married Konohamaru and moved back to our hometown, and I…I just stayed the whole time. I never went anywhere. And for the first time in many years, we were all within my mother's reach. And of course, she took the huge opportunity.

Before we knew what was happening, we were obligated to attend the Sunday family dinners. And if we skipped even one without a really good excuse, she would hunt us down.

* * *

I love my sister, and I can usually tolerate her and her husband Konohamaru. I wish I didn't see their car parked in my/our parent's driveway though because that means that not only do I have to admit I made up my engagement to my most-likely-will-be-heartbroken-and-extremely-angry-slash-disappointed parents, she'll be there to see the whole thing.

I park at the curb and force myself to take a deep breath to calm down my nerves.

"There she is! There's the bride-to-be!" my father shouts. I tensed slightly. It's unnerving to see him so excited. He's usually quite calm and composed.

"She's here! She's finally here!" I hear my mother scream as I gave my father a quick hug. "I never thought this day would come!" she continued rambling. "Three years! Who knew?"

Not Naruto.

"We always thought you'd just die a dried up old spinster," my father said. I forced a smile.

"Thanks, Dad." Mom holds me at arm's length before smiling hugely—after swiping at her eyes slightly to rid the tears.

"We're so glad that you chose to marry Naruto!"

"And not that loser…" my father looks away, trying to remember a name. "Shiko."

I pause for a second. "Shiko…You mean Shino?" He nods. "He's not a loser! He just happens to really like bugs…" Mom rolls her eyes.

"Oh come on honey. At least Shino was better than Sasuke."

Sasuke had no intentions of marrying me, and not because of my sexual inadequacy like Naruto says, but actually because I wouldn't go to therapy to admit that my parents were self-centered, over controlling people who gave no thoughts to our (Hanabi, Neji and me) opinions. Like I needed to spend $200 to figure that out. (Still love them, but it's a bit true.)

Plus, Sasuke had an egotistical problem where he thought he was higher than anyone else. Ever been with someone like that? If you never have, you're lucky. Don't ever try it.

"I should have kicked that boy out of the house for what he said to us," my Dad says angrily.

"He's stronger than you though," I point out. He just growls. I think he's a bit drunk. Or my getting ready to be married really just affected him enough to cause him to pour out emotions.

"Oh well. All's well that ends well." That's how my Mom changes subjects. "What's more important is your wedding planning. Three months is a bit short. You sure you don't want to put it off?"

I never chose the date in the first place. Then an idea pops into my head. The perfect way to put it off. "Well, Mom…"

"What am I saying?" she yelped. "You finally got him after all this time. You'd want to get it done before he changes his mind!" I blinked—like I said, no thoughts to our opinions.

Hanabi suddenly runs in waving a thick photo album-like book in the air. "Guess what I found?" she squeals. _Wedding Planner_ was printed in fancy, curving letters on the front of the worn out book. I shuddered. It brought back memories of hours and hours tasting wedding cakes, watching Hanabi try on dress after dress, and arguing over every single tiny detail down to what color the napkins should be and whether it would clash with any of the guest's clothes. (I mean really? Who cares if a _napkin_ clashes with their clothes? They could just throw the napkin away. Not like they'll walk around with it all day.)

She squealed again. "I saved it just for you! You can quit your boring old job and we'll go to the mall to pick out everything." What fun. "I already have the perfect florist, the right caterers, everything, for you. It'll be easy. I've already contacted Suzume." I search my mind for a Suzume. Curly black hair, glasses… A wedding planner? Already?

"That's awful!" my Mom exclaims.

"Too soon," I agree. "It's way too soon."

"No, not that," Mom replies. "It's too late. I already contacted Kurenai."

Kurenai? She sounds familiar…

"That's awesome!" Hanabi says. "How did you do it? Kurenai is in such demand, people can barely even get a call through to her because she's always busy working on someone's wedding." They turn to me. "Well, Hinata? Suzume or Kurenai?"

I am speechless. How am I supposed to choose? Hanabi looks at me with an understanding look in her eyes. "You have to get used to it. This is the first of many decisions you will have to make between now and your wedding."

"Besides," my mother cut in. "Both of them are great wedding planners so whoever you choose will be fine."

When I agreed to a faux wedding, I didn't expect to have to choose a wedding planner so soon after announcing it.

"Hold on. We're going a little ahead of ourselves, choosing a wedding planner before even going over the basics," Mom says. My shoulder sag with relief (when did I get all tense?) and I let out a small breath.

"You're right, Mom. We should slow down a bit," I agreed. Hanabi nods.

"Won't Naruto want to make some decisions too?" she asks. Mom's eyes light up.

"Of course! We almost forgot about Naruto. Their Christmas card has their phone number on it, right?"

"You don't need to call his parents!" I cry out, trying to avoid a crisis.

"Of course we called them. When one's child is engaged, of course their parents would want to talk to the fiancée's parents." My mind was whirling. She said 'called', meaning a past tense.

"You called already?" I ask in a panic.

"Last night. But they probably were sleeping at the time because no one picked up." I relax a bit, but feel as if something bad will happen.

"So we'll call now." Well there's the bad news. "And it's all the better that you're here. I'm sure they'll be happy to talk to you, seeing as you're about to marry their son."

No, no I am not. And if she calls, it would ruin everything. I try to grab the phone but she turns to the side and starts dialing.

"Put it on speakerphone," Dad says (Who all this time has only been watching us argue.)

"Right." She clicks the button. With each ring, my heartbeat feels like it's speeding up. _Please don't be there, please don't be there_.

"Hello?" I bit my lip.

"Hello! This is Hinata's mother." There was a long pause.

"Who?"

"Hinata is Naruto's fiancée," she practically shouts into the phone. Crap, she told her. _Naruto's fiancée_.

This is so embarrassing. Any minute now and they'll know about the lie.

"Oh, I didn't know that. Let me go find Naruto," she said in a confused tone. Konohamaru happens to walk in. I take in a breath of relief.

"Hey, Konohamaru." He greets me. "Mom, I'm going to go get some food and drinks, okay?"

"But you have to be here when Naruto answers," she half whines.

"I can talk to him any time. Besides, I'm thirsty."

"Konohamaru, can you help her?" Dad asks (but really, it was more of an order in a more polite way.)

He grabs some glasses in the kitchen and starts washing them while I dig around the fridge for drinks.

"So you and Naruto are finally getting married," he says, trying to start a conversation.

"Yup." Their fridge is so cluttered I have to move everything around to look for drinks.

"Are you excited?"

"Sure."

"You don't seem that thrilled." He pauses, the water rushing, making the only sound in the kitchen. "Is it something Naruto did?"

I make a small humming noise. "Something like that."

"Is it because he's not here?"

He's asking a lot of questions. I've never really talked to him that much

"More like because he doesn't know." I suddenly tense. Why did I say that? And to him? He's Hanabi's husband for god's sake.

"Doesn't know you're here?" I could lie and say yes. Not take the risk of Hanabi finding out from him. But I feel so tired, so exhausted from lying.

"Doesn't know we're engaged." Already, my body feels lighter. That's why I always insist on telling the truth. It feels better than a lie.

I keep my head facing the fridge, and pull out two bottles. I set them down on the counter with a _clink_ before resuming my hunt through the fridge. Luckily, the sink is on the opposite side of the kitchen, so my back faces him.

The water turns off, and I guess that he's drying the glasses. I force myself to relax and continue what I am doing.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Nope." Yet another load off. But I'm afraid of what might happen afterwards. I hand over a bottle followed by the ice tray. "That's for Dad. Make sure you don't leave the ice in too long."

"Why?"

"If you don't take out the ice, it gets all watery. Dad hates that."

"Okay." There was another pause. "Well, that wasn't what I meant though. Why are you lying about getting married to Naruto?" I shrug, even though I know he can't see it.

"It's a long story."

"Can you shorten it?"

If I tell him, it will make me feel pathetic.

"Apparently, there's another woman out there that he's been having an affair with because on the television I wasn't the one he was proposing to, so basically it's kind of like a revenge plus wanting to experience what being engaged would be like." There. It's out.

He takes some time to process the extremely long sentence I said.

"Ahh," was the only thing he could think of saying.

"Make sure to take out the ice," I remind him while handing him more drink followed with the names of who wants what.

"With what?"

"A spoon?"

He shrugs and pulls one out, and he starts to fish out the ice cubes.

"What do you think I should do?"

"Well," he began. "It might be the best to just be honest. It would be worse to find out from others, wouldn't it?"

"I think it might be too late for that. They already called wedding planners and their calling Naruto's parents."

My mind wanders, and I start to think about Konohamaru and Hanabi's new house. It had a huge master's suite and a large room they decided to use as a "children's playroom", a media room with a plasma screen TV, and four interconnecting bedrooms and bathrooms for the kids that they plan to have in the future.

"Hey, is it true Mom and Dad gave you guys two hundred thousand to buy your house?" I blurt out. He turns slightly red.

"Three hundred," he murmurs. "I wouldn't have taken it if Hanabi didn't want the house so badly. It makes me feel guilty sometimes. I'm supposed to be able to provide everything for her."

We fall silent while I ponder over the money. Three hundred thousand dollars.

"Is that why you're pretending to get married?"

My skin prickles uncomfortably. I hate being accused of things.

"No. Actually, I thought they only gave you twenty thousand at first, until Neji told me they gave you two hundred."

He becomes busy doing something else.

"You know, they also gave Neji some money to pay for college," he suddenly says. No wonder I never saw him working! They already paid it off! Whereas I spent my time taking part time jobs to get through school.

"How much?" He turns red again. Weird. He's usually not shy. Maybe talking about money makes him nervous.

"I don't know. But I didn't want you mad at Hanabi."

"Was it three hundred thousand? They gave him three hundred thousand?"

"We shouldn't be discussing this."

"Why the hell not?" I feel a bit angry. Both my siblings get cash whereas I'm stuck struggling to provide for myself, trying to pay for the small apartment I live in.

"It's not really any of our business."

It is too my business. I deserve some of that money. Couldn't they even spare me a bit for when I went to college?

"You think I'll ever get married?"

He hums thoughtfully. "I don't know about that. But your Mom and Dad helped pay for the house because they wanted us to start off life on the right foot."

"So you're saying life doesn't start until you get married?"

"Well that's what your parents think. I kind of think that too. I mean, why else would we get married?" Konohamaru leaves the kitchen with the drinks.

I reach into my purse. I can't stand it any longer. I speed dial Neji. He picks up after the first ring.

"Why didn't you ever tell me Mom and Dad gave you money?"

"No one says they have to treat us equally," he responds easily. Not even wondering how I found out about it.

"Well," I say testily. "While you and Hanabi are living in your fabulous nice houses, I'm stuck living in my tiny little apartment with a dog and sometimes Tenten who takes up my closet space. I think I deserve a little money. It's not like you got married like Hanabi did."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"I'm just going to tell you straight out." His voice sounds a little strained. "It's because you never take any risks, Hinata. Your days are exactly the same. You wake up, go to work, hang out with Tenten, and that's it. It's been that way since you graduated from college. At least I traveled the world and took up a more difficult job." Oh, and now he's putting down my job? It's not as easy as he says. "And at least Hanabi got married to Konohamaru. But what have you ever done? You've lived your life to only the minimum, never trying out new things."

My body was shaking slightly. Every single nerve in my body felt like it was on fire, and it was almost like I was seeing red. It's hard to hear your own brother tell you your whole life was worthless and uneventful without becoming angry. Even for me, who almost never gets angry.

I do take risks. He just doesn't know about them. My whole faux engagement is a bigger risk than anything he's ever done.

"Hinata?" he asks cautiously. "Are you okay?"

I feel an urge to do something drastic. Scream, shout, or maybe throw my cell phone on the ground.

But instead I simply end the call, ignoring my want to scream out how much I hate my whole family, and I head outside.

Mom and Hanabi are huddled together and Mom seems to have been crying.

"Naruto told you? I'm so sorry," I start to apologize.

"No, not Naruto. It wasn't Kushina, Naruto's mother, that we were talking to either. It was just a house caretaker, which was why she didn't know your name."

I feel a wave of relief. At least something good came out of today.

"What's wrong then?"

"Don't play dumb," Mom says. "You didn't want us to talk to Naruto because you were afraid he'd tell us, weren't you?"

I look at Konohamaru out of the corner of my eye. He's facing my father, with his back turned to me.

I can't believe he spilled my secret that quickly. Another flash of red consumes me.

"Did Konohamaru tell you?" I ask in a controlled voice.

"No, we figured it out." Hanabi says. "You don't want us talking to Naruto's parents, your not wanting to drink…"

"What?" I am utterly confused as to what conclusion they may have drawn.

"You're pregnant!" Mom cries out.

I stare at them with an incredulous look.

"What…? No, I'm not pregnant."

"You're not?" they ask at the same time.

"Nope."

"Well we thought that was why you were talking to Konohamaru for so long in the kitchen." Konohamaru casts me a knowing glance and I smile a tiny bit. He'll keep my secret.

"No, I was just thinking about the wedding. I don't want a wedding planner. Instead, I want to make the arrangements. But Mom, could you do the planning? You're really good at it since you already helped out Hanabi. And I want to move up the wedding. A month earlier. What's the point of waiting?"

They squeal loudly and rush off to get the _Wedding Planner _book.

I'm not a drinker, but I grab a martini that Konohamaru made and take a gulp. How's that for taking risks?

* * *

Yay, getting longer! I hope this one wasn't as rushed as my previous chapters. I spent a good two days on this. And still, sorry if my grammar (past tense, present tense) is wrong.

I wonder if anyone is angry at what Neji said…

Suzume is a real character, if you're wondering.

Thanks for waiting for this chapter! It took a long time to focus enough to get it all done. This was an amazing 4,083 word chapter, which is over half the length of my whole story "Illusionary World".

* * *

**Random Question Time**:

Well, this time I'm just kind of curious, so…

What would you do if you owned Naruto?


	6. Chapter 6

Every time I look, over a week has passed since I updated. Oops. This is a _very_ short chapter because I need some information before writing the next part (a name...etc.), but it has a pretty important part.

* * *

I guess I'm officially going to be married. And a month earlier than what was planned.

I feel different, as if I have a totally new outlook on life. After finally relenting and giving myself over to the idea of being falsely engaged, of taking a risk, I feel free, like anything is possible whether it be good or bad. I'm hoping there will be no bad though. I'm betting on the good. Everything will go smoothly and I'll end up actually marrying Naruto.

My extreme optimism might just be because of the day, though. A warm, sunny morning. The trees are full with new green leaves, the rosebuds are finally opening up to reveal beautiful flowers, the sprinklers watering the lawns giving them a fresh and clean look, and the kids are out of school so that I don't have to dodge kids rushing to get to class on time.

The air smells fresh, with a scent of rain and earth. It's kind of like someone just washed the world clean.

This morning I gave myself a full pampering. A long, warm shower followed by exfoliation (and I now have baby soft skin), then I treated myself to a mani-pedicure, leaving my nails a soft blue color with French-style tips.

Then I had a nice cup of coffee with sugar (no cream) and a healthy breakfast. I don't feel stressed at all, and I am not going to worry about pretending to be engaged and the consequences that could follow (like the outrageously high price a wedding costs that will also be planned by my mother and sister or Naruto finding out and instead of begging for me back, he goes ballistic).

No, none of that.

I have had a few experiences of bad break-ups, and I would end up worrying (which is, in fact, horrible for your skin).

Now take Naruto as an example. Naturally, on instinct, I would want to stay up all night calling my friends and crying over him as I devour ice cream (my choice of comfort food).

But I've done the whole routine before, and nothing _ever_ changed. The guy who dumped me never came running back begging for forgiveness. He didn't grovel at my feet and plead for me to take him back. The sun still rose and set, day after day, and eventually the wounds would heal (with no help from the ice cream; all I got was a few pounds gained) and he would become a faded memory.

I guess I might prefer it this way, because I do not miss him one bit. In fact, I am looking forward to seeing him so I can see him cry at the huge expense of the large, fake wedding. I have put him behind me, like an old childhood friend, or that freshman roommate that I had where we swore we would be 'best friends forever'.

I have to admit that I am a bit curious as to why he hasn't called or even emailed me yet. My mother called his house caretaker, after all.

I would have thought that he would at least want to check that I am still okay after that _rude and totally insensitive _breakup, or even to hear how Anzu, his_ own _dog who he had his_ now ex-girlfriend _take care of, is doing.

I arrived at my school's campus where I am immediately met by Ino. She's a great person, but she's a bit caught up in herself. Okay, maybe that's an understatement.

"Hey, Ino, how was your weekend?" I ask nonchalantly.

This usually would set her off. She is obsessed with Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and can discuss them endlessly. From Monday to Wednesday noon, she would run a nonstop monologue of the previous weekend. Then somewhere at noon on Wednesday she would suddenly switch her thoughts to the _upcoming_ weekend, her new topic of the rest of the week. By three or four on Friday she would have reached a high level of excitement for the weekend and would then leave work early.

"The better question would be, how was _your _weekend?"

"Uhm, okay," I answer hesitantly.

I can feel her eyes on me as I check my box for last Friday night and Saturday morning's mail, flipping through various memos from my boss, Sarutobi. Then I force myself to take a deep breath, which I let out with a long sigh while saying, "Mondays, how troublesome." (Thanks, Shikamaru.)

"Wait!" She grabs my hand and inspects it. I can see her eyes light up at my new manicure before her eyes settle somewhere and a somehow elegant frown takes place on her face. "Where's the ring, Hinata?"

"What ring?"

"Don't play dumb. Everyone knows about your engagement."

My mouth goes dry. I knew they might have seen the interview, but I didn't expect people to know so quickly at my work.

"What's going on?" Udon was standing in the hallway, watching us. Udon is really smart, about the same age as Konohamaru, give or take a few months. He's not exactly physically endearing, but if you can look over that, he has an interesting personality.

"She's engaged," Ino informs him.

He frowned. "I thought you weren't look for a serious relationship?" he asks quietly.

Oh. Is that what I told him?

Years ago just before I met Naruto, he asked me out to dinner (in a carefully worded and clearly rehearsed speech). Since he had gone through so much to get even the speech perfect, I just couldn't turn him down because I knew it would break his heart. I went with him to a way too expensive dinner at a seafood restaurant where he kept ranting about his ex-wife and something related to her (I can't remember) and how everything was so unfair.

We rarely spoke to each other after that, and I pretty much just assumed he knew about Naruto and me because he never tried to ask me out on another date.

"Ino doesn't know what she's talking about; she's probably drunk," I try. Ino scowls.

"Not this early I'm not. And I'm not allowed to drink on campus, remember?" You gotta love Ino.

"Look," she says in an annoyed tone, "Hinata and Naruto have been together for three years. What did you expect, that he'd dump her?"

I restrain myself from reacting to her words. He flinches a bit before walking away awkwardly.

"Okay, I have to go. Sarutobi left hundreds of memos in my box and I have to go sort them," I claim, trying to get away. I quickly turn the corner.

"He called, you know?" she called after me.

Against my instincts, I turn and peek around the wall so I see her again.

"Who, Sarutobi?"

"Naruto."

I freeze up a bit. Couldn't he just call my home phone and make everything less awkward. Then again, he probably doesn't know how awkward it actually is.

"When?" I ask.

"Ten minutes or so," she answers with a airy tone.

"Great, I'll call back later," I force myself to answer in a happy tone.

I dash to my office as composed as I can manage. I cannot panic. If I panic, everything will come crashing down. And what's the worst that could happen anyways? I can't get fired because it's a personal matter, not professional. Sasame has had this problem before…sort of…

Wait, where is Sasame anyways? She's always here. I know because I pass her office every morning on the way up. Maybe she's not coming in? That would be a relief, to not have to be relentlessly questioned about the marriage by her.

I pick up my phone, ignoring the message light that is on, probably from Naruto inquiring about the whole mess and call Ino downstairs. She gives me the standard greeting for all outside callers, even though she probably already knows that it's me.

"Is Sasame here?" I ask hurriedly.

"Nooo, she's not," she answers in practically a sing-song voice. "And I can say no more about it…especially to you."

That's strange. Out of everyone in the office, it's pretty much obvious that I am Ino's closest friend.

"Oh. Just wondering if she'll be back today."

"Don't you want to know where she is?" Ino was born to gossip; she just can't help it.

"No, that's all right." I don't want to seem interested, or worried. Besides, she'll probably tell me anyways.

"She's…" Ino pauses, trying to give it a bit of a dramatic sound. "…_out of the country_."

It has to be important, because the way she said "out of the country" implies something serious. But I can't think of anything other than that I didn't know she was planning on a vacation this week.

"She left yesterday on the spur of the moment." Her voice drops into her gossiping whisper, the whisper she always uses when someone isn't supposed to know but that she tells them anyways.

"You're crazy, you know that, Ino?" I say in a light tone to show that I don't mean it. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

* * *

Told you it was short. This was only five pages…barely. But oooh, she's "out of the country"…

Nah, I'm not really considering Naruto and Sasame, but it's still suspicious…

Hoped you liked it, sorry about the length…and yeah.

(Random questions will just be left at the bottom of the page in bold from now on.)

**#1: What's your most favorite pairing(s) and what's your least favorite pairing(s). Both yaoi and yuri are okay.**

**#2: Have you ever had those times where you get so annoyed by a writer's simple spelling mistakes that you want to hunt them down and strangle them (or some other violent variation)?**

**(For me, I get a little annoyed because Fanfiction even comes with its very own 'spell checker'. Is it too hard to click that button and scan through real quick? Okay, yeah, I know that they consider the names misspelled, but…it's not hard to skip over it. Sorry, long rant.)**

Review, please? And I'm really curious about the fave/non-fave pairings.


	7. Chapter 7

Ooh guess what? I'm seeing Piranha 3D (movie) today! (I'm only 14 and it's rated R…so shhh…) I LOVE horror movies, which my friends find really strange because I'm 'a girl'. That's such a stupid reason…

The bad thing is that I have a doctor's appointment this week (I have been to the doctor's all of…two times) AND my school starts next week. Sigh…

Note: Okay, to get things straight so it makes sense before you read…it's Monday for Hinata and everything happened over the weekend, and on Friday, everything was still normal (as in still together with Naruto and not lying about a wedding).

**Warning**: Terribly OoC Sasuke (He was the only person I could use for the role…) I didn't think you guys would want an OC, and honestly? I'm not that good at describing so you would be left with no image in your head.

Here's the sweet side of Kiba. I'm tired, so I skipped a section of their talking and just said they were talking about random stuff.

* * *

Friday seems so far away now. On Friday, I hadn't lied to my family and friends yet. On Friday, I thought Naruto and I would stay together as a couple forever. Look, there's my calendar. "Naruto's back!" scribbled messily in attention drawing red ink on the day he'll come back from his vacation.

Then there's my office. Shelves on the walls, with framed pictures of the two of us together smiling happily at the camera.

There's one I can see right out of the corner of my eye. We were at the beach, and it was taken at sunset.

There's another one where we went skiing. I was clutching onto his arm while he, the expert skier, laughed good-naturedly at my attempts to ski.

I stare at the applications on my desk. The amount of females applying far exceeds the amount of males.

I have a theory about the dumbing down of men, and that's this: Most video games are made for males. Only a select few were made with a female's interest in mind. So while video games (industry included) took off, bringing in interest by boys, the girls are outpacing them on grades, tests, and extracurricular activities (though their gaming skills suck).

Someone knocks at the door, and before I can reply, it swings open. Which can only mean that it's Ino. Who still has that stupid smirk that screams "I know something that you don't!"

"Busy?" she asks.

I love gossiping with Ino—it makes the time pass by quicker. But it's not such a smart thing to do if I'm trying to pull off such a huge lie.

"I kind of have a lot to do," I reply.

"Because I got a kid downstairs who has an appointment with Udon at ten. Udon was really excited to meet him, only he's in a conference with Sarutobi. I would send the kid over to Sasame, but, you know, she's…" She arches a perfectly plucked eyebrow with a grin.

"Out of the country, I know. Fine, I'll see him."

"Great, here's his file." Since she was already holding it, it meant that she wouldn't have taken 'no' for an answer anyways, so it was good that I accepted it or I would have to put up with her trying to convince me to make time.

The kid's name is Hayase, according to the file. I check his SAT score: nearly perfect. Grades? 3.9 avereage. I scan over the rest of his 'accomplishments' with a bored eye before grabbing his essay.

One sentence stands out from the rest of the essay. "_For me, where I go to school for the next four years all comes down to one issue: What are my chances of getting laid?_"

And then another sentence: "_Ratio females to males: 3: 1._"

I frown slightly, immediately tossing the essay to the side of my neatly organized desk. This job always comes up with new ways to surprise me.

Ino walks back in with a cup of coffee and the Hayase kid following behind her. As she places the coffee onto my desk, she points at my still blinking phone.

"You have a message."

"I know."

"It might be Naruto."

I motion for Hayase to take a seat.

"Yes, I know. Well then…" I turn to direct my attention to Hayase.

"It might be important," she cuts in. "He said it was when he called."

"Alright, Ino. Don't worry. I'll get to it."

"Or it could be the Publicity Department," she continues on. "They were writing a press release about Naruto and they want you to call them: extension 480."

Hayase continues to wait. I smile at Ino politely.

"Okay. I'll call as soon as I'm done here," I answer in a slightly exasperated tone, which she finally takes as her cue to leave.

"Sorry about that," I say to Hayase. "So let's talk about your essay and your grades."

"Who's Naruto?" he asks. I sigh mentally. The old let's-create-a-personal-relationship interview technique.

"That's Naruto," I say, pointing to the pictures on the shelf before turning back to his files. "Now aside from getting laid, as you so crudely put it, are there any other reasons why you want to go to this college?" Hayase continues to stare at the pictures on the shelves.

"Oh, that's the writer, Naruto. My mom was so thrilled he was teaching here."

"Yes." I force myself to smile politely. "Did you read _Beauty_?" He rolls his eyes.

"God, no. But Mom did and cried all the way through. She made me watch his interview. I was stuck in the hotel room so I had no choice." I see my chance.

"A hotel room? Are you taking a tour of the colleges here? Any other that caught your attention?"

"Didn't he…?" Oh, no.

"Didn't he ask his girlfriend to marry him?"

And here I thought I would actually get time away from being questioned, only to be stuck with a loser who watches bedtime TV with his mother.

"Did he ask her to marry him? Not exactly," I say through gritted teeth.

"You mean that was all bulls—" I cut him off with a glare. "I knew it! It was all staged just so he could sell more books!"

"No, it wasn't staged. He did ask her to marry him."

He sits back with a smug grin. "He asked _her_ to marry him." He stresses the word 'her'. "You mean he asked _someone else_ and that's why you're not returning his messages."

I bite down hard on my tongue to refrain from saying anything stupid. Taking a deep breath, I calm myself.

"Now I'm sure your parents didn't drive you all the way here to talk about me." I pick up a pencil, running it down against his transcript until it stops just at the B he got in P.E. "So why did you only get a B in Physical Education?"

"You must have wanted to kill him! I mean, on national television. That must be like, two million people at least. Or were you dumped long ago and just keep his pictures. That's incredibly pathetic."

The pencil snaps in my hand. He's lucky that wasn't his neck.

"It's more pathetic to be forced to watch TV with your mother, and to come to a college interview wearing something that looks over a century old with colors only the blind would choose," I say sweetly, motioning to his yellow and blue ill-fitting suit. His hand goes up in a futile attempt to cover it a bit. "Besides, we are engaged. I just didn't want to make a big deal out of it. Now I see here you failed a test and had to make it up doing extra credit. What, were you slacking off that semester?"

"Where's your ring?" He just won't let it go.

"Haven't chosen it yet. He wants to get one engraved."

"Right, I believe you." He shook his head in mock sadness. "What does it say about our society when an aging spinster has to invent a fiancé?"

I give him a glare.

"_Excuse_ me? Aging spinster? Let's see what you look like when you hit your twenties." He gaped slightly. I glance at the clock.

"Oh look, your time is up," I lie. Before he can say anything, I've already called Ino in to show him out.

"Hope you don't hold our conversation against me," he says arrogantly.

"Oh, but it will. I mean, you didn't answer a single one of my questions." I give him a huge, fake smile. "At your next interview, try getting a new suit that _fits_ and talk about _the college_."

"How did it go?" Ino asks.

"Fine. It was quite _interesting_."

"Hm. He seemed quite aggravating if you ask me. And don't even get me started on those clothes. Oh and you might want to check that message. If it's bad news, well, best to get it over with than continue waiting, right?"

She has a good point. I wait for her to leave (and make sure to remind her to shut the door) before typing in my code.

Four messages.

The first message was from my mother, who is in a fluster, rambling about so many things that I can't even understand what she's talking about. I should never have let her plan it.

The second was from Neji, apologizing about telling me my life was pointless and not going to leave anywhere and that he hoped that I would forgive him (Right, of course I'll forgive you for telling me that I had no life) and asking me to please stop ignoring his calls.

Oh…yeah…I forgot I blocked his number.

He went on to invite me to a club where he was going to sing for the contest hosted by Sasuke who is my best _guy_ friend even though we tried dating and then broke up and I called him an egotistical bastard. He's a pretty good friend. Sometimes. It's not as awkward around him as you would think it would be.

He rambled off names that I didn't recognize (well, I didn't bother to pay attention to). Then, out of the blue, I heard him say that Kiba was going and that Kiba also wanted to apologize for something. Well good. He should be sorry for accusing me of faking an engagement (which I am, but that's not the point).

The third message was from Sasuke, who was also inviting me to see the contestants and listen to them sing.

The fourth message. From Naruto. I breathe deeply to prepare myself.

"Hinata. I just received some strange news from my house caretaker, who's house sitting while my parents are away; something about your parents calling and claiming that you and I are getting married." His voice holds a strange sound to it. Bewilderment, maybe?

"Now I appreciate your support to my interview. My publisher expects another bestseller based on all the good publicity. I am sure you're as thrilled as I am."

Oh, yes. _So_ thrilled.

"Still…"

Here it comes.

"If your family is confused as to whether or not I've actually proposed to you, I believe it's your responsibility to explain to them everything."

You do, do you?

"I mean, having to explain to my house caretaker was embarrassing enough, especially with _you know who_ there."

No, I don't believe I know who _you know who_ is because _someone_ believes that it's not any of my business.

"Because by now I'm assuming you've found out who _she _is—"

I delete the message. I'm positive I'll never find out unless he sends me an invitation to _their_ wedding.

It's strange, though. I've never heard him talk like that. All…polite and business-like.

If there's one advantage to the break up, it would be that I don't have to continue listening to his assumptions and 'corrections'. Being dumped by him might not be the worst thing in the world.

It may in fact be the best parting gift ever.

* * *

The contest is today, held at _Daybreak_, the name of the club. I'm nervous about seeing Kiba again. He's probably still convinced everything is fake (which it is, but still).

I have learned that most men can be distracted by a bit of cleavage or a flash of a leg. It's not very feminist of me to think of doing that, but I really need to pull it off.

With a slightly laced caramel colored tank, plus a mini skirt just long enough to not be too slutty followed by a pair of my favorite heels…he won't stand a chance.

Of course, I'm only doing this to catch him off guard and make him forget about it. I'm certainly not trying to seduce him or anything.

It's war against all egotistical men who are used to having their way (like Naruto) or the ones who assume all women will fall in love with them (Kiba…).

On my way to _Daybreak_ I catch a glance of myself in a shop window. I've never dressed this way before in my life. My clothes are usually much more modest. Before, I would have fainted to even think about wearing anything to revealing.

I feel more confident now, as if I had not a care in the world but to do my best in making a huge impression.

"Wow, look at you." Sasuke gets up from a table and gives me a hug. It's not often that he compliments me. "Here, let me go get you a beer."

"Thanks!" I scan the crowd for Neji or Kiba. Hopefully together to make less awkward moments. Sasuke comes back with two beers in hand and we settle down at the table.

"Here you go." He stares at me.

"Uh, Sasuke?" He shakes out of a, what seems like a, trance.

"Oh sorry. It's just that you look…well…hot." I smile and allow myself to giggle as I brush my hair back over my shoulder. "Don't be offended."

"Nah. In fact, I needed to hear that. Thanks."

"Yeah? Why?" I hesitate, pondering on whether I should tell him or not.

"Well because that's what Naruto said. That I wasn't…hot."

Sasuke scoots forward. "You're kidding. Why would he say something that stupid?" His reaction is perfect, exactly what I was looking for.

"Naruto claims I'm his best friend, but that I don't really turn him on."

"Was this before or after he asked you to marry him?" I stare at him, dumbfounded. A drum set falls over on stage, causing me to jump in fright.

"Neji told me," he explained. "He called me, asking me to convince you to show up today. Said he was guilty about some fight you guys had and then told me about your engagement."

I blink, feeling like I'm in a daze. Sasuke believes that I'm engaged, and Neji actually feels guilty about fighting with me.

"Well, so when did he say it?" He looked a bit angry. He was always a bit overprotective of me as a friend.

"Let's talk later, it's fine." People are piling in, making it a bad environment to talk about things that personal.

"Why do you always act like I'm such a freak? I'm your best friend!"

"You are not a freak," I say, confused.

"You act like I am. When I kiss you on the cheek, you always flinch."

"Not true!" I honestly can't remember if I do.

"What about if I kiss you now? Would you push me away?" I shake my head no. He suddenly leans forward and kisses me. Not on the cheek, but on my lips. I nearly tense and pull away, but stop myself. I don't dare flinch. In fact, I'm so low in self-esteem that I even kiss him back a bit.

"Hey." Sasuke looks to the side. "Hey, Neji. Don't mind me, I'm just kissing your sister."

Neji waves his hand in approval. "Kiba and I can wait."

Kiba?

Wait, what am I even doing kissing my best-friend-turned-boyfriend-turned-ex-but-still-my-best-friend? I push Sasuke so that he ends up seated again.

"Ouch."

"Sorry. You proved your point." I turn to see Kiba standing off to the side a bit in a black t-shirt.

"You look nice," he says. "That's a good color on you." His words sound innocent. His tone? Not so much.

"Thanks." My voice is a little shaky. "Ugh, the service here is horrible." I pretend to search for a waitress.

A waitress walks straight past us.

"You're right," Neji agrees. I think he's just trying to make up for our argument.

"Excuse me, miss." Kiba does nothing but wave his hand just slightly and the prettiest waitress appears. "Could we get another round?"

She gives a seductive smile. "Of course. Four beers?"

"Three," I correct. "I'm fine."

"Four," Kiba says. "Save you the trip." The waitress giggles before leaving, making sure to let him see her swaying hips.

"That okay with you, Hinata?"

"Hm, why not." He's already figured out that I can keep up with them. He turns his attention to Sasuke, who is watching him with a disinterested look.

"So how long have you two known each other?" he asks Sasuke.

"Since college. Best friends since."

"So what are you singing, Neji?" I say, changing the topic. Neji gives me a small smile.

"Glad you're talking to me again. My song is a surprise, since one of the judges is at our table," he says, giving Sasuke a look.

"So how's your engagement?" Kiba asks.

"Never better! It's moved up a month, actually!" I say, trying to sound excited. He gives me a skeptical look.

"So why is it that women are always so attracted to you?" I question, quickly distracting him from his previous thoughts. Neji laughed.

"One time, this meter woman came up to him and said she tore up his parking ticket. She even showed it to him. Twenty bucks saved, all because they're attracted to him for some reason," Neji says.

They start talking about some other stuff, and before I know it, somehow it got to the topic of Naruto. Before I can say anything, Sasuke spills what I told him.

"Naruto told Hinata that she doesn't turn him on."

My face goes red.

"Sasuke!" I nearly shriek. Neji and Kiba are stunned into silence. I stand up, and, at the same time, push my chair back, creating a loud screech as the chair legs drag against the floor. Kiba tries to say something but I stalk off, not bothering to wait for his words.

Outside, a cool breeze blows my hair out of my face. Someone touches my shoulder lightly. I spin around, ready to slap Sasuke when I see that it's not Sasuke, but Kiba.

"I think they just got a little carried away in there. You know, the beer?" I shake my head.

"No big deal. I just overreacted."

"No you didn't." He hands me a tissue and I realize my eyes are a bit watery.

"Thanks," I say gratefully.

"I think it's kind of cute that you would turn to a male friend with that kind of problem." I smile, and he gives me a small hug (more like just putting his arm around my shoulders, but it was still comforting).

"Thanks for not laughing at it or anything."

"And look, if Naruto said that—"

"Sasuke was exaggerating," I say, cutting him off before he goes any further. He nods, staring at his feet to stall time.

"So I'll see you inside? Neji's getting ready to sing."

"I'd hate to see Neji's ego grow larger than it already is," I reply. He grins at me, and I feel like blushing.

"I'll go tell them that you're okay."

As he walks away, I see the women in line staring after him in approval and lust while the men tense and try to make themselves look taller.

I laugh a little.

* * *

**About the theory of 'the dumbing down of men'**: Not all guys are stupid, and not all girls are bad at video games. Basically, Hinata is just really annoyed at Naruto and is blaming the entire male population. But if you choose to support the theory, well…who am I to stop you?

**Hayase**: He was one of the chunins in the written part of Chunin Exams where the genins were supposed to cheat off him.

**Daybreak**: Akatsuki, of course! But I don't want to use 'Akatsuki' because I don't know where the heck they are (Japan? America? Who knows?) so I just used the English translation. Plus 'Daybreak' sounds kind of nice, doesn't it?

* * *

Okay, two and a half hours of hard work. Focusing was hard…so hope you enjoy(ed) it.

**#1: Have your parent ever threatened to do something outrageous?** (Mine have. My mom threatened to ground me and that if I even took one step outside she would call the police.)

Thank you everyone who has reviewed! (I want to post this quickly so I don't have time to type up your pennames, but I will do that in chapter 8, I promise.)


	8. Chapter 8

It comes randomly…the urge to write…so **I can't guarantee quick updates but I most definitely WILL finish this.** I was going to get a **beta-reader**, but then I don't want someone changing my totally weird writing style that I for some reason love. So **I proofread it myself**.

Yikes, shorter than I planned. But I took so long to type it I forgot some parts. Dang it. Well I posted it anyways because it's been a while and you guys are probably waiting for the next chapter.

Okay, I know words like **engaged, married, proposed, etc**. comes up a lot, but that is what this story is about so of course it'll be **continuously brought up**. (Gods, I love bolding important notes because it makes it look way more interesting…haha.)

* * *

It's practically impossible to get any work done posing as a betrothed person. Just when I'm about to read over a potential student's file, someone from my family calls and needs to talk to me about something related to the wedding.

"_Should the tablecloths be white or cream?"_

"_How many people do you want invited?"_

Why can't they just ask all the questions at the same time? And is there really a difference between white and cream? I never cared about it when I went to the weddings I went to, which was…many, many times.

"And then this house caretaker of Hugh's, she claims that Naruto told her you two broke up and didn't ask you to marry him," my mother is saying, this being her third call of the day. "Now why would she say something like that?"

It's a rhetorical question, so I don't even bother answering, or trying to answer, it. I hum at about a one minute interval to fake that I'm listening to her rant as I flip through test scores. Oh, this person got a perfect 1600 SAT score and straight A's for all of school. I think I could consider him. I grab my water bottle as she continues to talk about the strangeness of their house caretaker.

"I'll tell you why. I bet she's on drugs." I nearly choke on my water. "Do you think Naruto's parents should know what she's up to?"

I lie to her, telling her that where Naruto lives, they have people sort of foster drug addicts to cut rehab costs. I don't even know what I'm saying, but I try to make it as convincing as I can.

"Interesting," she says before hanging up.

I guess so far the only good of this is that my lying is improving.

An hour later she calls me back up again. I sigh before picking up.

"Guess what? Ayame is throwing you an engagement party!"

"Who is throwing me a _what_?" I say in confusion.

"My best friend from college. Remember? She was married to that one man who fell and drowned in their pool, and after the police investigation, she moved over to here. She's offered to plan your engagement party, for you and Naruto!"

"Police investigation?" I ask hesitantly, not sure if I really want to know.

"Oh, just a technicality. People claimed that they had a bad marriage, but she truly loved him and would never try to hurt her husband."

Oh, lovely. Does she not hear herself talk?

"Anyway, Ayame can't wait to meet Naruto. She just loves his book _Beauty_. She says that the party will be strictly a black-tie extravaganza. Champagne, imported salmon and lobster, a band at the club you like. Isn't it great?"

Oh god. "What if the pool boy shoved him in?" I wonder.

"Please, Hinata, stay focused. I thought you would have been squealing." She sounds a bit disappointed.

"Oh, I'm squealing all right." In my head. Can't she hear? Though I guess it's more of a scream.

An engagement party. For me. _And_ Naruto. How am I going to pull this off? People will expect him to show. Unless...Naruto was in the military. Yes! That…

No. No one would buy that. They'll wonder why he just so happens to join when the engagement party is planned.

"Of course, you'll need to register soon because when word gets out people will start sending you gifts."

Gifts! Lately I've been worried about legal issues that might arise in 'gift-getting'. Isn't accepting wedding gifts under false pretenses some sort of criminal offense? Theft of quality kitchenware by unlawful betrothal…or something? I'd be like those people who ask people for money for their dear aunt who is dying from cancer when they're really getting money for some beer.

"Mom, I can't have an engagement party…"

There is an ominous pause that makes me feel uncomfortable.

"You can't turn down Ayame. No one turns her down. She's planned every engagement party you've been to, and there were a lot. You should be excited by this. Instead, I feel like I'm weeding, tugging each stubborn detail from you until I'm exhausted. You're having this party. Bye!"

The dial tone rings in my ears. Now what do I do?

Twenty minutes later, my phone rings again.

"Now, what about a date, sweetie?" Her voice is all syrupy again as if we hadn't just argued about the engagement party. "We can't plan anything without a date. Have you and Naruto picked a date yet?"

"A date?"

"Yes, a date."

"_Oh_, a date." I figured that I can stall time by repeating everything she says.

"As in August blank…" She draws out the last word in a questioning tone.

Crap. I flip through my calendar. August 30. That's when I planned a vacation with Tenten.

"How about August thirtieth?"

"Are you sure? Is that okay with Naruto? Because once you choose a date, you can't change it. Won't classes be starting then?" She spits out questions faster than I can keep up.

"The date's fine," I reply.

"But you haven't talked to Naruto yet, have you?" she accuses. "Now listen to me, sweetie. Men can get verrrry annoyed if you don't ask them. The sooner you learn how to give Naruto the impression that he's making all the decisions, the sooner you'll have the upper hand in marriage."

Ah yes. My mother's marriage ideas, that manipulation keeps it strong.

"I'll tell you what," I say. "I'll pretend to have asked him and we'll pretend he said yes."

"Perfect." The scratch is audible from my end. Another task done on her to do list.

She hangs up. I barely have time to stretch before my phone is ringing again. Only this time it's Hanabi.

"I have terrific news! Guess who's throwing you your bridal shower?

"Ayame?" I say confusedly. Didn't I just talk about this?

"No…me!"

This has got to stop. Continuous changes in plans. Engagement parties. Showers. I'm on total overload.

"You can't. You're my sister," I tell her.

"So what? Sisters can throw showers now. Really. I checked with Tenten and she said it doesn't matter anymore."

Oh, Tenten. Of course.

"Uh. Well what about no one throws me a shower and I just get married in Mom and Dad's huge backyard under that one big tree we used to love playing under? No engagement party, no fancy reception, no church. No gift registering, no guests. Just nice and simple? A quick five minutes and we're done," I suggest.

Hanabi lets out a long, almost pain-filled sigh. "Okay, look. From here on until the wedding, you do not get to make any decisions. I'm taking over because you seem to be suffering from some kind or pre-wedding stress disorder."

PSWD. Like that's actually a real disorder.

"Just do as I say," Hanabi instructs (or more like demands), "and everything will turn out perfect. Now, first you need to register. His family might prefer to register somewhere specific, so maybe you should ask Naruto about it."

"Who?"

"Naruto. Remember, Hinata? The guy you've been dating for three years and are now engaged and almost married to?"

Oh, right, _that_ Naruto. "Well maybe Naruto and I don't want to receive gifts." I try to appeal to Hanabi's do-good side. "We have so much stuff already; couldn't we just have people send money to that one charity you like?"

"Like it's a funeral?" She snorts loudly. "Geez, you sure are a lot of fun, Hinata," she says sarcastically. "I can't wait to go bridesmaids' dress shopping with you. What, you going to pick out dresses made of recycled paper or hair or something?"

Bridesmaids! I haven't thought about that yet! To my shock, I discover that my palms have become all sweaty, smudging one person's signature where he pledged to maintain his grades if he were to be accepted.

"You should still register," Hanabi says in her all-knowing voice. "It makes it easier for people to know what to buy. It's kind of hard trying to figure out what you want or need. And then that way, after the wedding, if you really want to, you could just return the gifts for cash and donate it to Save the Children or the ASPCA."

That's actually a good idea. Maybe they won't get to mad at me if I tell them I donated to charity. Or would they want their stuff back?

"Oh and make sure there's a lot of kitchen stuff registered. I'm throwing you a kitchen shower. Personally, I think you should ask for a garlic press. I don't know how you lived so long without one. All that cutting with no press."

She's right. How _have_ I survived?

"And what are you going to do about your triceps?"

"Excuse me?" All that word brings to mind are dinosaurs, and I'm pretty sure that's not what she means.

"Your upper arm muscles, the part where there's some flab hanging down?"

"I have a little piece of flab that hangs down?" I ask stupidly.

"Check."

I tap the bottom of my arm where there's supposed to be some flab. My god, she's right. It does.

"I didn't want to bring it up," she says, bringing it up. "I know you're probably self-conscious about this. But don't worry, we all are."

We are?

"And so because of it, Konohamaru and I have already gotten you your very first gift."

Oh, no. Probably some fancy way to get rid of my arm 'flab'.

"We got you…" she pauses to make it sound more dramatic. "…a three-month membership to the Fitness Gym right around the corner from your apartment."

There's a gym near my apartment? Since when? God, I never know anything. I listen to her as she continues talking.

"I got you an appointment with a trainer that specializes in the upper arm and abs. He'll do the best he can to get you ready for your wedding. And if you work hard, maybe, just maybe, your triceps will be tolerable for you to wear a strapless dress."

It's funny how she always mixes a good thought with an insult.

"Why, Hanabi!" It's so like her to notice and zero in on my physical flaws. "How thoughtful of you to think of my arm fat!" I say.

"Yes, well, someone has to."

* * *

**Kiba** will be back in **Chapter 9**, I promise (to those of you who want more of him). And this was short, but I wrote most of it of people talking, and think up so many speeches is hard work. For me.

* * *

**How many of you who have posted stories have heard about the account that's been reporting massive amount of stories to be deleted?**

If you haven't…Uhm…I think the user was Red(something). I read in someone else's fic that there was an account that was mass searching stories by keywords and reporting them until they get deleted. Is that true?

I'm a little hesitant to post more in case it is true...but I'll continue. I'll just download a backup of this story, and if it does happen...well, I'll create a LiveJournal account, I guess (under the same pen name).


	9. Chapter 10

This is Chapter 9! Well...I'll consider it Chapter 10 because of the Thanks page I put in. Anyway, it took a while, but I got it.

Oh, and no offense to those who likes Starbucks Caramel Fraps. I attack it in this chapter a little, but I love it despite its sweetness. And the "Akatsuki's Jewelers"…Uhm…I just really wanted to use Konan.

And I finally figured it out. Fiancé is a guy, Fiancée is a girl. I think.

Edit 11/5/10: I just notice a few minor errors. No need to re-read if you already did before.

**The line breaks do not mean the end! Keep reading until you see a bolded ****SENTENCE**** that says "End of the Chapter". Thank you.**

* * *

"I can't believe Hanabi gets to plan your bridal shower!" Tenten exclaims. "I'm your best friend, so I should be the one planning it, right?"

"Of course," I lie. "Wait…Hanabi told me she asked you about it."

"What?" she practically screeches. I wince. "That little—"

"Have you forgotten I'm not really getting married?" I cut in.

Tenten stops stirring her Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino ®, which is so sweet that the mere smell makes me light-headed. Seriously, that thing shouldn't even count as coffee. Suddenly, she picks up the pace again in her stirring.

"You need to drop the attitude, Hinata. You're getting married, even if you're not."

"What?" I shake my head. "Tenten, that doesn't even make sense."

"It does." She motions for me to lean in, which I do, slowly. "Look," she starts, her voice so low I can barely hear her over the music in the store, "You almost have Naruto right where you want him. Any day now people will track him down and demand to know what's going on."

I sip my latte casually, reveling in the pure caffeine feeling. "Mm…I've been thinking about that. Where would that leave me once they find out the truth about it all?"

"The object of pity. Admiration. Empathy." She lists off other words, ticking them off with her fingers. "I mean, you'll be a hero to every woman who's been screwed over by their commitment-phobia, long-term boyfriend." She pauses, taking a large gulp of her frap. "And…you'll have a bunch of new kitchen items to go along with your sense of satisfaction.

My eyes widen. "Oh, no. No, no, no. I am not going to register for the kitchen shower Hanabi's throwing me."

"Are you shitting me?" Tenten yells so loud that a mother nearby slaps her hands around her daughters ears while throwing my best friend a nasty glare. "Come on! Your kitchen is…ugh. Your pots are chipped, your measuring cups cracked, and that coffee maker you have! I've had better coffee on a plane!"

"So you've told me." Over. And over. And over. And over.

Tenten wipes off a bit of whipped cream from her lips in a lady-like manner, surprisingly, taken how she talks. "Trust me, Hinata. This will be good for you. Not only will it give Naruto a kick where he deserves, but it'll jump start your life. Give me a good reason why a twenty something woman can have a kitchen shower just because she's going to get married, while woman who actually cooks can't."

I open my mouth to say something.

"Exactly. You can't," she cuts in. One reason she wins arguments? She never lets the other person talk. "In fact," she continues, "when my nieces graduate from college, I'm throwing them a Welcome-to-Real-Life shower and get them all prepared so they can have decent towels and crap. Life starts when you get your own place to live and your own job. Not when you have some guy signing a contract, claiming exclusive rights to your body."

The woman trying to shield her daughter from Tenten's words throws another disgusted look towards us before gathering the cups and napkins, throwing the garbage into the trash can, and grabbing her daughter and leaving.

Tenten seems oblivious to the lady, so immersed in the idea of free gifts from a wedding shower. "I'm kind of envious of you. What'll it take to get someone to throw me a shower?" she thinks aloud.

"What if you get engaged?"

Tenten blinks. Then a smile slowly spreads across her face. "That's brilliant. That's a fucking brilliant idea."

I wince at her words. What have I done? I really have to think before I speak.

"I should get engaged! I mean, look at what you're getting. Bridal showers, parties. Gym membership. A personal trainer, even. Every woman deserves this at least once in their life."

"Well yeah. That's what they get when they're getting married," I say. She ignores me.

"You're even getting a free house!"

"No, Hanabi got a house. They haven't bought me one."

"Not yet," she says. "But they will. They have to. They're supposed to treat their daughters equally. Well, that is, if they want any grandchildren."

Grandchildren?

And before I can respond, Tenten has already thrown her cup away and rushed out the door. I have to run just to catch up to her. She's really fast, despite her laziness.

"Where you headed?" I pant out.

"Akatsuki's Jewelers. I saw the most beautiful ring there."

"Don't you have to meet a client?"

She shrugs. "I can meet him there." She pulls out her phone without breaking her stride.

For a woman who lives off cinnamon rolls, caramel frappuccinos, and doing everything to get out of exercising, she somehow manages to have a perfectly normal conversation with her client while I'm following her, nearly out of breath.

"You can't get yourself an engagement ring," I say when she slows. "Naruto proposed to me on national television, but you haven't even dated any guys."

She stops so suddenly I nearly run straight into her. "I have too been dating."

"Casual flirting with men at the deli counter in grocery stores is not dating."

She scoffs loudly. Dramatically. Then she takes a long pause. "It's the Whole Foods section, not the deli counter," she finally says. I roll my eyes.

We enter the store. Brilliant diamonds everywhere. My heart flutters with excitement. I always feel happy when I see jewelry, even if I'm not buying any.

"That one." Tenten points at a ring below the showcase glass. "That's the one I was talking about." She keeps jabbing her finger towards the object of her desire.

I blink. It reminds me of something a grandmother would have, something that was passed down generation and generations ago. It had three oval stones, the center one bigger than the rest, set in white gold. The weight of it would probably make typing impossible. "It's…huge," I say, for lack of any compliments of taste.

"And people will notice it. I want a ring that'll be impossible to ignore, one that will give people and immediate recognizable symbol that I'm engaged to someone. I want people's jaws to drop when they see it."

"Ohh, their jaws will drop, all right." She smiles.

"Now, for you? You need something that is extremely obviously an engagement ring." She points to a rather plain ring. A simple diamond with a platinum setting. Pretty enough.

"I always imagined my ring to look more…antique. Passed down, but with a refined look." I frown, tapping the glass of where the ring is. This time, she's the one that rolls her eyes.

"It's not your real ring, idiot. This is your fake ring. This is the ring that people need to see to believe you're engaged."

"Looking for something special?" A blue haired clerk —a fake blue rose in her hair—with flawless, pale skin approaches with a practiced smile.

"We're looking for an engagement ring. For the both of us," Tenten declares loudly.

The clerk gives the both of us a once over. "Mhm…Anything in mind?"

"I like this one, don't you?" Tenten asks me, pointing, yet again, at the horribly oversized ring.

She seems to feel that a sale is close because she informs us that her name is Konan and insists that we shake hands. "That one's nice. But, maybe you would be more interested in our Love and Honor collection. They're very popular among couples like…you."

"Us?" Tenten's head whips around with an interested look. Konan pulls out some rings to show us. Tenten admires them, while I'm thinking, why matching rings?

Konan smiles that practiced smile again. "So how long have you two been together?"

"Oh my god, since forever. We were roomies all through college," Tenten shares.

"Oh, that's sweet. It's nice that couples like you can finally make it legal," Konan says.

I choke slightly. "Uhm…I'm not…we're not…" I blink rapidly. "Not that's there's anything wrong with it, but…" I say, just in case the clerk happens to be a lesbian.

"Of course not." Konan's smile goes back to the fake, rehearsed one. "So you're fiancé…?"

"Oh, there's no fiancé. For either of us." Tenten turns back to the oversized ring. "So, this ring costs…?"

I can see clearly on Konan's face that she's now thoroughly confused, but I don't bother to explain the mess.

"In white gold, it's $985. In platinum, it's $1,996," she says.

"Two grand!" Tenten yells. "For glass?"

"Manufactured glass. It's guaranteed to last five years. Sometimes more than a marriage lasts now." Konan shrugs before shutting the case.

I'm bummed. Not the five year marriage thing. Really, it's not a surprise. It's just, I didn't expect to have to pay so much for a half-decent ring.

"May I ask what the engagement rings are for if there's no fiancé, what's the ring for?" she asks politely.

Tenten checks with me before answering. "It's a long story. It has just come to our attention that engaged and married woman have more advantages than those who aren't, and we'd like to partake in the opportunities," she says in her lawyer voice. As in, confusing and unclear, yet very professional.

"So…being engaged solves a lot of problems right now," the clerk clarifies.

"Sort of," I say, before Tenten starts bragging about all the upcoming things for her if she pulls it off.

"I understand. You wouldn't believe how many women come in here looking for cubic zirconia engagement rings for themselves." Finally understanding what we were doing, she sighs and opens the case. "Especially the women who are tired of men trying to take advantage of them just because they're single."

She pulls out the ring Tenten was looking at. It shines brighter in the light, looking even bigger than when it was in the case. Tenten looks like she's about to faint from pleasure.

"Because let's face it," Konan continues. "People are much nicer to you when you're married. Want to try it on?"

Tenten slips the ring on without hesitation. Her French manicure manages to make the ring look, actually, not that bad. Meanwhile, Konan pulls out a simple ring for me.

It's traditional looking. Simple. Very affordable. No one would mistake it for anything other than an engagement ring. But I can't help but wish for something different.

"You know what?" Konan says. I think she could feel that I wasn't very satisfied. "Antique ring always add a little flair. It seems more sentimental, and people will think your so-called fiancé loved you enough to give you a family heirloom." She pulls out a different ring. Even if it's not an antique, it's a pretty good imitation of one.

"Hey, how much are real diamonds?" Tenten asks.

As I go off to pay for my new ring, Tenten walks off with Konan. She returns just as my purchase was finish, holding out her hand with a new ring.

"What do you think?" Tenten seems pleased. "Weighs a ton. But it's real."

It looks the same as the fake diamonds to me, but I don't bother telling her. At least it looks better than the previous one she wanted.

"Do I want to know how much it costs?" I ask.

She hums idly. "Not that much. Just under ten thousand dollars."

"Ten thousand!" I stare at her in shock. "That's not even a real engagement ring. Are you crazy?"

"Close enough. Hey, there's my client. Let's see if he can thinks if your ring is real or not." She waves maniacally—in my point of view, at least—to someone.

All I can see is a man in jeans and a white button-down shirt, the top buttons open revealing a bit of the neck. Realizing who it was, I feel a rush of heat headed towards my face.

"What's Kiba doing here?" I hiss quietly.

"I'm taking him out for drinks. He's interested in investing and he might benefit from my….assistance."

I pretend not to hear the slight pause and sudden sultry sounding tone.

I watch Kiba scan the store before his eyes fall upon Tenten and her crazily waving hand. He smiles, and then, seeing me, he breaks into that annoying knowing grin.

"Maybe I should go," I say. "Leave you two alone to work." Please let me go, I beg silently.

"Nonsense," she exclaims. "You got to keep him company while I'm getting my ring resized."

"Hello, Tenten." Kiba stood in front of us. "And nice to see you again, Hinata. Hope you're feeling better," he says to me. Probably referring to the incident at the club.

"What? You didn't tell me you were sick," Tenten says.

"It was nothing." I tuck a stray hair behind my ear, lowering my eyes. His gaze makes me feel transparent. It's so penetrating that it's almost…rude. "Just the club thing."

"Ohh." Tenten shoves her ring in Kiba's face to change the subject. "How do you like it? Gorgeous, right?" He says a bunch of stuff about the ring that I couldn't even understand. All that I could tell was that he really knew about diamonds. I put my hand behind my back. No way am I showing my fake ring when there's Tenten's expensive one nearby.

Konan comes back, and tells Tenten that she's ready to resize her ring. Before she leaves, Tenten is thoughtful enough to tell Kiba, who seems to be an expert in diamonds, to look at my engagement ring.

Thanks, Tenten.

"Well?" He holds out his hand, and reluctantly put my hand into his large one. I note that his fingers are surprisingly long and artistic, reminding me more of a musician.

"You have lovely hands, you know that?" Kiba says, seeming unconcerned that my nails weren't covered in a layer of pink gloss. "Do you play piano?"

Funny he should say that. Lately, I had been considering piano lessons. But Naruto had always said that it was pointless. That unless you started as a child, it was impossible to master because the adult brain is so inflexible. He, of course, had been playing since the age of three and can play Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody, which is an extremely long and hard piece, flawlessly. Not that I or anyone else have actually heard him play.

"No. I had to play flute."

"Ah, that's too bad." He seems a bit sad. "My sister, she used to play. Her teacher used to say she was born into it and that she could've made something of herself out of it. But she gave it up for veterinary practice." Hana played the piano? "Though, it's never too late to starts. The human brain is an amazingly adaptive organ."

He turns his attention back to my ring. He looks at it, then frowns. "That's a big stone."

"What?"

"It might raise concerns."

It's glass, I think to myself. Of course it would.

"No offense, but are you sure this is real?" he asks. He knows. Crap. I snatch my hand back quickly.

"Are you trying to say that my fiancé bought me a fake ring?"

"There's nothing wrong with cubic zirconia," he says in a patient voice that makes me feel like a four year old. "Diamonds are very expensive and some men don't see a point in wasting all that money on one."

I can't tell if he's accusing Naruto as being cheap or suspicious.

"Naruto only buys the best, most authentic stuff," I say. "He comes from a very refined background. He grew up on a six-hundred acre estate in England. His grandmother was a personal friend of the King. He would not, under any circumstances, even consider buying for me, his future wife, anything but the most flawless, perfectly cut diamond."

"That'll be $29.56," another clerk—Deidara, by the name tag—says, sliding the receipt to me.

"It's a duplicate. For insurance purposes," I say, signing the receipt with a flourish, not daring to look at Kiba.

"Perfectly understandable. For insurance purposes. Exactly what an Englishman who grew up on a six-hundred acre estate would insist upon." He winks before going off to join Tenten.

He knows I'm a fraud.

And he's not going to tell Neji.

Worse. He's going hold this over my head, toying and teasing me with it until I break down and confess everything.

* * *

**NEW YORK POST** PAGE 7

_New author __**Naruto Uzumaki**__, whose bestselling book __**Beauty**__ continues to rise in popularity, isn't identifying the woman he proposed to recently during an interview with __**Momori**__, though sources have confirmed that she is Naruto's long-time girlfriend, __**Hinata Hyuuga**__._

_Uzumaki has given no comment about the proposal, though she has been reported to be wearing a HUGE new diamond ring, and that her wedding is supposedly planned to be at the end of August._

_When we reached Naruto, where he is promoting his translated book, he only said "What?"_

* * *

To: hinatahyuuga

From: narutouzumaki

Subject: What?

Hinata,

I'm very impressed that you have managed not to seek out the press for whatever bitterness you may have. I had expected and was prepared for the worse. I am glad to know that you put my public image first. Thank you.

That said, in being so supportive, you have, unknowingly I'm sure, created the impression that we are engaged. I've heard so much about it that it crossed my mind—though I know this can't possibly be true—that you might be lying to your friends and family and telling them that we're really getting married. (Haha.) I realized later that this had to be untrue, because only a mentally disturbed person would promote such a lie, and Hinata, you are not one of those people. Or I hope not.

I have been receiving multiple congratulations on our upcoming marriage and I strongly suggest that you tell them that we are not, in fact getting married because I did not, and will never, ask you to be my wife.

Lastly, the ring. If you have purchased yourself a ring to somehow mock me, then I suggest you throw it away immediately.

Naruto.

P.S. The foreign rights to **Beauty** have been sold to 40 different countries. I know you're as excited as I am.

* * *

To: narutouzumaki

From: hinatahyuuga

Subject: Re: What?

I might be wearing an engagement ring. I might be getting married soon.

But who said I'd be marrying you?

Life doesn't revolve around you, you know?

P.S. Congrats on the foreign rights to the book that **I **edited and **I** helped to make onto the bestsellers list. You have no idea how much that thrills me. Really. I'm dying with happiness here.

* * *

**End of the Chapter**.

Wow. Hinata's been fed so many lies from Naruto. Ahh. This was pretty fun to write. Hope you liked it.

Note: emails: Not very creative names. And they wouldn't let me use any adresses (like yahoo or etc.), fake or not. So that's why it ended up like that.


	10. Chapter 11

I don't update as often as I would like, so I'm going to start including a few paragraphs from the previous chapter to help refresh your memory.

* * *

_To: narutouzumaki_

_From: hinatahyuuga_

_Subject: Re: What?_

_I might be wearing an engagement ring. I might be getting married soon._

_But who said I'd be marrying you?_

_Life doesn't revolve around you, you know?_

_P.S. Congrats on the foreign rights to the book that __**I **__edited and __**I **__helped to make onto the bestsellers list. You have no idea how much that thrills me. Really. I'm dying with happiness here._

* * *

Okay, I am _loving_ this ring.

I've never felt more pretty or special in my life. It's like I became a princess overnight. A snap of the fingers, just like that. As if I'm a celebrity that deserves the best, and nothing but the best. I don't know why I didn't try this out sooner. Every woman deserves one. They deserve to be treated like royalty.

And it motivates me to do things would probably pass over in my before-ring time. I actually got up early today, a Saturday morning, to meet the trainer that Hanabi arranged for me to have at the gym. Do I want to wake up, go to the gym, work until I'm sweaty, exhausted, feeling like I'm about to drop dead? No. I want to sleep in and lounge around in my sweats.

But then I see my ring, and it reminds me how I'm starting to change my life around. It gets me to get up, drink a cup of cheap tasting coffee made by my crappy coffeemaker, pack a bag, and head down to the gym.

I get there at six A.M. It's so filled with people I feel like I'm being shoved with every step I take. They're walking on the treadmills, chatting as they train, with smiles on their face. Don't they realize that it's six in the morning?

"Hi there!"

Oh. My trainer is Lee? Rock Lee? I sigh. There's nothing wrong with him, he's just a little over-enthusiastic. And tends to have a way above average endurance and thinks it's normal for everyone. So I know I'm in for the workout of my life. Probably more than I've done this whole year. Or maybe for the past five.

On our way there, he spots my ring. I hold my breath as he inspects it, but he just gushes with words I can't wrap my mind around—only really hearing youthful and some other words jumbled together in a fast, excited rant, before he yells for someone to come over. She looks at it, and starts gushing about how lovely it is—"Oh, it's gorgeous, did you're fiancé design it for you?"— and then another fit and peppy person comes along and oohs and ahhs before Lee realizes that we're behind schedule and rushes me to hurry along.

My whole body is tingling with warmth from those few compliments. I've never felt better.

After a long series of what he calls "warm ups" (Once it was over I actually asked if we were done for the day, which caused him to laugh and ask me if I was serious) he told me he wouldn't let me try anything other than the ten-pounders until I lost a few pounds—nothing drastic, he said (to which I wanted to inform him that to an average woman, ten-pounds is indeed a bit drastic). Then he gives me my diet plan (boring, boring, boring…) and an exercise program that, apparently, means I'm supposed to make visits to the gym everyday to do, which my beloved sister suggested to him.

I don't know whether he thinks I'm getting married or joining the army. But I guess to people like Hanabi, there's not much of a difference.

"I promise you that when your wedding comes, you will look more youthful and sexier than you are today," he promises.

Sexier. I don't really like that, on top of being smart, good at financials, and a good housekeeper, a bride is also expected to be sexy, too. I've never heard of a father taking their soon to be wed son aside and privately advising them that they should drop a few pounds, and maybe work on a six-pack to keep the bride happy.

But hearing Lee say this, I can't help but start to smile, because it feels like I'm finally down the road to the good life. The right way. How it's supposed to be. Sometimes, it feels more like they're about to shove me off a cliff instead of slowly guiding me down the steep side like they should, but I'm going the right way now and getting to where I should be.

On my way over to the showers, I can't help but think of Naruto. I still sort of wonder who the other girl is. Do I know her?

At first, I kind of suspected Ino. If she hadn't told me that while she envied my relationship with an honest (ha!), stable, successful man, she couldn't really deal with such a feminine and prissy man. At that time I had defended him vehemently, but now that I think about it…he does have some feminine tendency in some things. Just a few. Not many.

Well, anyway. Ino was looking for more of big, strong men who engage in daily physical labor.

Like Kiba.

My neck goes red hot. Why would I think about him? Sure, he's a little…or a _lot_…

I shake my head frantically, trying to dislodge the thought before I realize people might think that I'm crazy and forcefully stop my head.

"Hinata?"

I look up to see Naruko. Honestly, I haven't seen her much. Actually, it's been, what? A few months?

"Hey, why are you here?" I ask her.

"Well, you know. Sai..." She giggles, leaving it off there. I prefer not to ask any more because I can just tell that she would give me many unneeded details if I did. "So how are you? I haven't seen you in forever!"

I know I'm going to regret this later, but on an act of impulse I hold up my hand and say, "How am I? I'm _engaged_."

She squeals so loudly that many heads turn to stare at her. Not that she notices.

She practically tears my hand from my wrist, eager to see the ring. I nearly stop breathing. I bet she's probably an expert in all things fake.

"Oh, my god, it's gorgeous! Who is it?"

Okay, now this is probably where I should shut up.

"Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki. You know, he wrote that new bestseller book? We're getting married really soon."

I don't think she even heard the name I said because she lets out another squeal at the word 'married'.

"You're getting married so soon? Do you have a house yet?"

Just when I think I'm getting the hang of these engagement lies she goes and asks that. _Everyone_ wants me to buy a house. Why?

"I know a lot of real estate agents that could help you find the _perfect_ house," she tells me, and pulls out a her business card and scrawls a bunch of numbers on the back. Her brain is like, hardwired to her cell phone. She knows every single one of the hundreds of numbers in there by memory. "Oh and hey, how's Neji?"

Right. She had this huge crush on him in high school. Even now, married, with kids, she could still think about him and hope for him. "He's okay," I say.

"Still single?" I nod and Naruko sighs, but I see her eyes sparkle slightly with sadness.

"He's working on that one house, near the…" I trail off. She probably already knows which one anyway.

"The half million one built in the 80's? That went on the market yesterday, though."

"What?"

The thought of another dream house just slipping through my fingers to someone who doesn't deserve it—well, not as much as I do…I deserve to be selfish once in a while…—is maddening.

"I want to buy it." I can't believe I said that.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Only…" I wish I knew if my parents were going to give me money like they did Neji and Hanabi. "I don't know if I could get the deposit."

"A hundred grand." My shoulders sag.

"It was just a thought," I say slowly. "I just really love the place…"

"Then get your money together and buy it," she says. "I can't tell you what a steal it is at this price. I shouldn't be telling you this, but…" She leans closer, bringing her cloud of rose (How does she smell like that after working out all day?) and says, "The rumor is that the owner, Koyuki Kazahana, hates here and wants to get rid of it and memories of her ex as quickly as possible. Which means you know what."

I know. She wants cash and might drop the price a bit if she gets it.

"So think about it," she advises. "But act fast. I bet it'll be gone by Sunday."

* * *

It is pathetic that today is my first visit to Victoria's Secret, ever.

But every time I finally build up enough courage to go to the door there's some guy in a tattered raincoat by the door looking awkward and yet…disturbingly excited as he peers to the door and ogles the women picking through lingerie.

Okay, maybe the creep by the door could be a boyfriend or a husband of a woman who just frequently goes there. But how can I be sure? He could also be some perv who likes watching women look through underwear. This is why I don't go to Victoria's Secret.

But now, armed with my new ring, I feel safe. I make a big display of my left hand as I walk past him, letting the sunlight catch off the fake diamond and practically blinds him.

He doesn't dare stare at me as I walk through the doors. He looks away until another woman approaches, displaying to his approval a short dress with a deep V.

I browse over the racks. What am I supposed to buy? I end up randomly gathering random items and shoving it into my basket.

"That'll be one hundred sixty dollars," the girl at the register tells me. I pull out my credit card and hand it to her, my hand shaking slightly.

"That's a beautiful ring. Engagement?" she observes, trying to distract me from the huge bill.

"Yes," I reply. "I'm getting married on August thirtieth!" I smile.

"No way! Me, too!" She thrust out her hand, showing a slightly smaller diamond, but probably way more expensive than $29.56 like mine. "I can't believe it's on the same day. What a coincidence!"

I walk out with their pink striped bag. Next stop, Borders.

I slip inside and maneuver my way through their shelves. I turn a corner quickly. And I crash right into someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…" I dazedly grab my bag and look up. "Kiba!" I yelp.

He grins and helps me up.

"What are you doing here?" My heart pounds quickly. It's embarrassing to me to be talking to him with this bag in my hands.

"You alright?" he asks, still holding my hand as I try to steady myself. "Did I hurt you? I didn't mean to. You just sort of popped out of nowhere."

"Sorry," I gasp out again. "Why are you here?"

"Just reading." He has a book in his hands. I recognize that one. It was my favorite in high school. "I think he's about to break off his engagement to the love of his life."

Is he hinting that he knows? Or is that what really happened in the story?

"So how are you? Would you like to go for a cup of coffee? I was supposed to meet up with someone, but I think she stood me up."

She? What _she_ would stand him up?

"I wouldn't mind a cup," I say. "Plus, I'm a good placeholder if she shows. Never be alone. Always pretend you're having the time of your life when she shows."

"Really?" His eyes twinkle amusedly.

"Oh, of course. You don't want to stand around looking forlorn and worried, constantly checking your watch. That'll be a total turn off. You should be in the company of another person."

"Meaning you?" I nod.

"Well?" I ask. "Do you want my help or not?"

"How could I refuse?" he says, and he slides his arm around my waist. My heart skips a beat. "Is this too much?" he asks.

"Perfect," I breathe. "She'll be seething with jealousy. What's she look like anyway?"

"Average height. Thin. Sort of pale."

"Sounds delightful."

We find a table by the window. I wait there while Kiba orders us two coffees. I decide it's not just his looks that attracts people, but also his overall demeanor. He's one of those naturally friendly people that can talk to strangers as if he's known them for years.

Like the girl behind the counter. Something he says has her giggling, and I think also throwing in some kind of pastry for free.

I watch as he stuffs some bills into the tip jar. Naruto wouldn't have done that. He considers the tip jar a way for people to earn extra money for doing nothing.

"Would you like some?" he asks me, sliding the pastry over to me on a napkin. Up close, I can see that it's covered with still warm dark chocolate, just enough so I can smell the richness of it.

"I couldn't. Too fattening," I say reluctantly, pulling my eyes away from the treat.

"Come on. You know you want it." He breaks off a piece and pops it into his mouth, then licks his lips. "Mm…the dark chocolate is delicious."

"A real date wouldn't eat a chocolate pastry. She'd wait until later."

"Later?" he asks.

"Until after we knew each other better. You don't just pig out in front of a guy. A girl's got to create the image that she's almost…divine, I guess. Like a goddess. Who has no need of mortal food."

"I see." He takes a sip of his coffee. "I've never thought of that before, but I guess you're right." We sit in silence for a bit. "So, what do you want to talk about? Hopes? Dreams? …Naruto?"

Quick. Think of something. Anything but him. "How about a house?"

"A house?"

"Neji didn't show you the house he was working on?" His eyes flicker with recognition. "I ran into my friend today and she said that the house is already on the market."

"Oh yeah. He told me yesterday. We've been negotiating the price. I've wanted to buy it for weeks."

"Buy it?" He can't!

"Yeah. It's an excellent investment," he says. I panic a bit. Another house out of my grasp.

"I don't know if Neji told you," I start, hoping that I don't sound like a spoiled baby sister, "but I want to buy it too. It's my dream house. The location, the house. I wanted to plant roses all around the place."

"Roses," he repeats with a smile. "You must really love the place.

"I do. You could say I feel sort of desperate."

"Then why did Neji say that Naruto wouldn't go for it?" he wonders.

"Neji doesn't know anything. If I want the house, Naruto will agree," I blurt out. "He trusts me."

"Then why haven't you guys made Koyuki an offer?" he asks. He brushes a few crumbs off his shirt.

Good question. I don't have a decent answer for it. "Not enough money."

He shrugs. "Koyuki's looking for cash. Half a million. She's out of her mind."

"Yeah, who's she going to sell to? Drug dealers?"

"I don't think she cares," he says. "She just wants to get to California and get away from the house, I guess."

We sit in silence again, thinking about the house.

"How much money could you scrape up, if you don't mind me asking?" I think a bit, calculating in my head.

"Right now? Hmm…twenty grand? But I might be able to get two or three hundred thousand from my parents. That's what they gave Hanabi for her house." He looks shocked, and lets out a low whistle.

"How do I know you're not a dealer?"

"You don't. How much can you get?" I ask him quickly.

"Maybe two hundred grand." I raise an eyebrow.

"So we're both drug dealers." He chuckles lightly.

"What do you say we split it? We could turn it into a condo. You put in three, I put in two."

Yes, I want to say. But I wouldn't be able to pay that and still live in my apartment. My parents would never understand that. Wait. My parents won't understand when I say Naruto broke up with me a while ago either.

"Thing is, I have to live there. I can't afford to live somewhere else and own a home." He looks as if he's about to say something, but his eyes wander off.

"She's here. Koyuki." I turn to see her coming down the escalator. She looks angry. All 5' 4'' and 104 pounds of her. (I'm guessing that she weighs that much. She sure looks like it.)

"Shouldn't I kiss you now?" Kiba asks.

"Kiss me?" I'm confused.

"So she'll seethe with jealousy." Now he's confused.

"I didn't know that Koyuki Kazahana was you're date!" I exclaim.

"I'll explain later." Before I could react, her plants his lips on mine. It's neither pristine or sloppy. It's an absolutely perfect kiss. Soft. Full. I feel like I'm melting. He leans in more. Then I remember that I'm supposed to be engaged, and I pull away quickly.

"Crap! Kiba!"

"Was that bad?"

"No, not at all. But I'm engaged!" I should probably act more horrified, but my body still feels weak from the kiss. I turn to leave.

"Wait!" He scrawls something onto a napkin. "Here's my phone number. Call me if you have any more ideas about the house. I tuck it away into my purse.

"I don't know about that. I'm engaged, you know?"

"I remember. But for how long? From that kiss, I'd say not very."

Wow. He's bold. "You might be surprised."

He shrugs. "Maybe. I'm a very patient man."

* * *

And they finally kiss! I wanted to include more of Lee, but I don't have a very good grasp on his…unique way of speaking and I'd rather not use him as just another annoying character. And remember, Naruko has no relation whatsoever to Naruto.


	11. Chapter 12

"_Crap! Kiba!"_

"_Was that bad?"_

"_No, not at all. But I'm engaged!" I should probably act more horrified, but my body still feels weak from the kiss. I turn to leave._

"_Wait!" He scrawls something onto a napkin. "Here's my phone number. Call me if you have any more ideas about the house. I tuck it away into my purse._

"_I don't know about that. I'm engaged, you know?"_

"_I remember. But for how long? From that kiss, I'd say not very."_

_Wow. He's bold. "You might be surprised."_

_He shrugs. "Maybe. I'm a very patient man."_

* * *

I turn back to look inside once I'm out of the coffee shop. I find that Kiba is still there, only all his attention is focused on Koyuki, who looks slightly calmer. Actually, she's smiling. Probably caught up in his charm.

Then again, I have no right to be jealous. After all, it wasn't even a real date. Just pretending, and that thing about him being a patient man…well, he was probably just being his usual flirtatious self.

And, even if Kiba is starting to like me—as if it were possible…I'm not claiming that he is— it would be pretty stupid to get Koyuki angry. He wants the house, and what better way than seduction?

It motivates me to take action to, which is why right now I'm driving over to my parent's house. Of course, it won't be easy to sit them down and ask for three hundred thousand dollars. A handout this huge really goes against my nature. I usually try to pay for my own costs instead of letting others do it. I've never really liked to have Mommy and Daddy there to catch me when I fall.

* * *

Mother is in the kitchen when I come in.

"Hinata!" she exclaims. "What a surprise! I'm so glad you stopped by. I want you to look over the invitation list I made."

There are way too many people on this list than we agreed on. "Didn't we agree on less than a hundred?" I ask her.

"Well yes, but then…Just by inviting our relatives we're somewhere near seventy or eighty. And then add in Naruto's relatives, and your friends, and my friends…Do you have the list of Naruto's relatives yet?"

"Not yet." I flip through the list. Why is she inviting my old principal?

"Well get it soon. And Naruto's parents…God, I can't believe we've planned so much and still haven't even talked to them yet. It's incredibly rude." She paces the kitchen slowly, shaking her head.

This I've got covered, thanks to Tenten. I pull out a card with an address for Naruto's parents. And never mind the fact that the address is actually a person named Keiji and that Keiji is Tenten's uncle who is a con artist and has agreed to answer all letters regarding a marriage as if her were Naruto's parents.

"No phone? Just an address?" she asks with a frown. I shrug.

"Maybe they're just having a rough time right now. Sorting things out." I flip the list to the next page. "Uh, Mom. Why is Tenten's name crossed out?"

"You don't really want to invite _her_, do you? She's so loud. And rude. And very inappropriate at times." She stares at me with pleading eyes.

"She's my only bridesmaid. I have to invite her. Plus, she's my best friend."

"No!" She grips the kitchen counter as if it's the only thing keeping her up. "Why?"

We go through this every day. I tell her that Tenten will be my maid of honor, and yet every day she acts equally shocked and as if we need to check with her parole officer to make sure she's allowed in a place where such a romantic and pure act is taking place. (No, Tenten doesn't have a parole officer. But Mother constantly checks up on her just to make sure her family isn't in danger of being in contact with her.)

"Would it make you feel better to know that she's engaged?" I ask.

"Someone is actually going to marry her?"

Well, no. Not really. "She's got a diamond to prove it," I say instead.

"Does Neji know?"

"I don't know. Wait, why?" Why would Neji care if she were engaged?

Suddenly she straightens herself up, looking completely relaxed. "Actually, that _does_ make me feel better." And with that she takes the pencil and erases the line over my best friend's name.

"Really?" I'm a bit shocked.

"She's a very bright and hardworking young lady." I stand there, speechless. Then I remember the real reason as to why I visited.

"Uh, Mom? Where's Dad?"

"Watching TV, why?"

"I, uh—" I clear my throat. "I need to ask for a favor. A big one," I say, walking towards the den where the TV is. She follows after me curiously, rambling off dozens of questions about the wedding.

"Is the date still okay? Do you need it changes? Is more guests okay? If you don't want to invite your aunt, I totally understand. She's a bit…unpredictable. Have you gone dress shopping?"

Dad is half asleep on the couch. I turn the TV off and he jolts awake. "I was watching that!"

"Sorry. This is important though," I say quickly. I sit down at his feet, like how I used to when I was younger. I take a deep breath. "Okay, look. I don't know how to where to begin. I'll just come out and say it. I want to buy a house. Actually, I already have a house in mind. I want to buy the house Neji's been working on for a while now. I only have twenty thousand saved up, though, and it's not enough. Could you help me?" My words get a little shaky at the end.

Mom inhales sharply, and I wince and stare at the ground. Dad sits up, rubbing at his eyes to wake himself up. His hands clench and release in a fist before asking me why I suddenly wanted a house.

"It's a really good investment and a gorgeous place," I say, trying to play on his business side. "And the neighborhood is really safe, and it's part of a really good school district. But I have to make an offer by tomorrow or it'll be gone."

Mom glances at Dad, at the same time that he glances to her.

"You and Naruto have talked about this?" he asks me.

I pause for a second. Lying to get three hundred thousand dollars for a house makes me feel really guilty.

"No," I decide to say. "He doesn't know yet."

Mom exhales slowly. "Hinata, why are you asking us, then? You're almost a married woman. You can't go around making decisions as if you were still single. This is a big thing that you have to discuss with Naruto."

I tense up slightly.

"Mom, it's not a bad thing. I love the house, and we're going to need a place to live. Plus, I know that Naruto's going to love it."

"It's not good to assume things, honey. He might _say_ he likes it but inside he'll be wishing for another place," she lectures.

"Darling, would you mind getting me something to drink? My throat is dry," Dad says. Which really means that he wants her to go away for a bit, but in a polite way.

Mom stomps off, her lips drawn into a thin straight line. She shakes her head slightly, annoyed. He watches to make sure she's left before he asks, "Why haven't you talked to Naruto about this yet?"

"I haven't been able to reach him yet. He's been really busy. Besides, what does it matter? You helped Hanabi to buy a house. I know that doesn't mean that I deserve the same, but don't you think I should still get a house of my own?"

"Of course you do. You deserve better, in my opinion. But I'm concerned about what will happen when he finds out you bought a house without even consulting him."

"Okay, just out of curiosity," I start off. "Say that I were single still and wanted to buy a house. Would you give me the same amount as you gave Hanabi?"

"And you weren't getting married?" he questions.

"Which is why I said _single_."

"No," he says simply, without a second of hesitation.

"Why?" I expected that answer, but I sort of wished that he wouldn't just say it like that to my face.

"Because. What would a single girl need a house for? A house is for a woman with a family to raise, not for one girl. A single girl just needs an apartment, a car, and a closet full of nice clothes."

I grit my teeth slightly, trying to ignore the _girl_ versus _woman_ thing. As if just because a woman isn't married, then she can't be considered a woman. I remind myself that he's my father and that his remarks aren't sexist, just of an ignorant person who is doing his best to love me.

"But since I _am_ getting married...How much would you give me?"

"Hmm…" He looks upwards, thinking. "Well, Hanabi and Konohamaru, we gave them three hundred. The house you want is going for…?"

"Half a million. The owner, she wants cash."

He snorts loudly. "No way someone's going to show up with a pocket full of cash to buy the place."

That actually reassures me. It's good to know that I'll have more of a chance of getting it because she's demanding cash instead of credit cards or anything else.

Mom comes back into the room with some soda, filled to the brim with ice. It's amazing that she went through all that to get him a drink, only for him to just put it onto the table without bothering to take a sip.

"Well? Reached a decision?" she asks.

Dad shrugs. "Well, Hinata can't reach Naruto, but she's worried someone else will buy the house Neji's working on if she doesn't act quickly."

Mom sighs loudly. "I'm very disappointed, Hinata." She fiddles with a loose thread on her jacket. "We were going to wait until Naruto comes back. We wanted to throw you a party and then offer to buy you a house, but now the whole thing's been ruined."

"Not really, Mom." I get up to hug her. "It's better this way."

"No party?" She sounds astounded, like every person would die to have one.

"Actually, without Naruto."

"As in, without Naruto here, right?"

"Right."

* * *

"Where is my phone?" I mutter. I have to ask Neji what to do. Dad will only give enough money to get the house under contract, but not the full amount that Koyuki wants. I'm extremely grateful for his very generous offer, but I'll lose it to some eager buyers that can hand over enough cash to satisfy her.

I rummage through my purse a little more, when I come across a crumpled napkin. I move to throw it away, but something stops me. It's like there was something about it…

I unfold it. Seven numbers are written on the napkin. I tap my finger against my table, trying to remember what it was.

_"Wait!" Kiba scrawls something onto a napkin. "Here's my phone number. Call me if you have any more ideas about the house. I tuck it away into my purse._

Oh. Yeah.

I guess I should call him to tell him that I can't get all the money. I punch the numbers into my phone slowly, and press talk. The ringing seems to echo through my apartment. It goes to voicemail, and I hear the long beep.

"Hi! Kiba!" I laugh nervously. What if he was joking about the house? What if he thinks I'm stupid for calling him about it?

"Uhm…I can't get all the money for the house. I'm sorry. So I guess we won't be able to get it. It's over, I guess." I click the end button, stopping the horribly awkward sounding message I left him. I slump down on the couch, feeling very miserable.

My phone rings, but I don't bother to stand up to get it.

"Hinata!" A voice screams through from the answering machine, which I immediately recognize as Tenten. "Pick up the phone! I know you're there!"

I grab the phone and make my way to my small kitchen.

"Yeah, Tenten?"

"What are you doing?" She doesn't wait for a reply. "Come on, we're at _Daybreak_."

"We?" I ask. I search through my freezer looking for something to eat.

"Your friend Sasuke is here and Neji." I locate a microwavable Lean Cuisine ©.

"I can't. I don't feel like going right now. I found out that I can't get the cash for the house, and a realtor I ran into says it'll be gone quickly. Too quick for me to get the money together."

I hear a soft murmuring of someone asking whether I'm coming and Tenten explaining how I was depressed about not getting the house.

"So forget about the stupid house," she finally says to me. "Come on. I bet you'll forget all about it by the end of tonight."

"Nah. I think I'll just shower and go to sleep."

"Aww, come on Hinata. I'll buy you however many drinks it takes to get you drunk."

"I don't want to get drunk," I argue. "I want that cute house that I've been looking at for this whole time."

She sighs theatrically. "I give up. Neji!"

Neji gets on. "Forget the house, Hinata. If it was meant to be, then you would have gotten it. Just let it go."

"I'm tired of that though. I've always just been going with the flow. I need to do _something_. Take risks, like you said."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he says disinterestedly. "Listen, I have to ask you something before Tenten comes back. Is she really marrying this guy?"

"I don't know. I guess." I don't know who the 'guy' is yet. She never told me. But she tells Neji first?

"His name bothers me, though. Ne Hizuka."

I freeze. "You mean Captain Ne Hizuka?" I ask slowly.

"You've met him? Because I've never heard of him, and then suddenly, they're engaged."

Oh god. Ne Hizuka was Tenten's imaginary boyfriend when we were younger, when she didn't want to get picked up by other guys.

"Oh yeah. They've been dating for years. Is Tenten back? I want to talk to her."

"Hey, Hina. So, decided to come yet?" She giggles lightly. Possibly a bit tipsy.

"Ne Hizuka? Really?" I ask.

"It slipped out. Habit." She sounds like she doesn't even care.

"It was only slightly amusing when you wanted to get away from guys. But someone's going to find out easily about a nonexistent _captain_." There's a loud slurp from her side of the line.

"Hey, I convinced Neji, and he's not stupid."

"Yes he is."

"No he's not. He's pretty smart. Really smart. And besides, I think he finally appreciates me now that I am taken by some other guy." Not that she cares that the guy is imaginary.

"And Kiba?"

"What about Kiba? He's just a client, nothing else." For some reason, my chest burns slightly at how she just tosses him to the side. I open my mouth to say something, but think better of it. Because, for once in my life, Tenten and Neji are actually getting along—to a certain point. It's a miracle.

* * *

Okay, it's shorter. And barely any Kiba, only some mentions. And it took a month before I got it all together. Sorry. But I'm pretty sure he'll be in the next one. And I'll try to write faster, if you guys still seem interested in reading more. If not, I'm sticking to the one-a-month update.

*An imaginary character (Ne Hizuka) doesn't really need a real name, so I just put together random syllables.

And I kinda want to have some NejiTen. Hopefully, you guys aren't against it.


	12. Chapter 13

I don't want to add an AN up here, but I just want to explain. I get really obsessed with things, and my newest obsession is drawing. Ha, I was super addicted to fanfiction when I first found it, and would start reading right when I got home to like, 3AM, and then I'd be back again at 5AM (same day) and read until I had to leave for school, and then it'd start all over again. Not a healthy obsession, but…yeah, sorry. I'm still going to post as best as I can.

Story Note: The owner of the house: Koyuki Kazahana.

If you get bored, search for the…fourth line break and read a few paragraphs above to get the main idea. I won't mind. And then read the emails and everything beyond that, because I worked hard on them. :D. Thank you.

_

* * *

_

"_It was only slightly amusing when you wanted to get away from guys. But someone's going to find out easily about a nonexistent captain." There's a loud slurp from her side of the line._

"_Hey, I convinced Neji, and he's not stupid."_

"_Yes he is."_

"_No he's not. He's pretty smart. Really smart. And besides, I think he finally appreciates me now that I am taken by some other guy." Not that she cares that the guy is imaginary._

"_And Kiba?"_

"_What about Kiba? He's just a client, nothing else." For some reason, my chest burns slightly at how she just tosses him to the side. I open my mouth to say something, but think better of it. Because, for once in my life, Tenten and Neji are actually getting along—to a certain point. It's a miracle._

* * *

The next morning, as I am leaving to head to the gym, I spot Tenten's car parked right in front. I peer inside cautiously to find her sleeping, her white dress stained with a huge spot of _something_ right on the front. I wrinkle my nose slightly.

I knock against the glass of the car window. "Tenten? You okay?"

She jerks awake and stares at me groggily, with an expression that seemed like she was trying to remember who I was. Then she rolls the window down.

"Got any of your crappy coffee?" I roll my eyes slightly and shake my head 'no'.

"On my way to the gym," I explain.

"Ugh." She slumps down. "I'm so tired…I stayed up all night, and even went to the morning church service. I've been waiting for you."

_Up all night with Neji?_

The question randomly pops up in my head but I shake it away.

She leans over to open the passenger side door, and gestures for me to sit. "I wanted to make sure I caught you. But I didn't want to call and wake you up, so I parked here and ended up falling asleep." She yawns widely, but attempts to shield it with her left hand. "I think I know how you can buy that house."

I'm instantly alert. "Are you serious?" I ask, slightly hopeful.

"It might work. But then, it might not. Neji's not really sure."

"…Neji?" I say.

"Yeah, we were up all night discussing it." Well, that answered my question. She did spend the night with him.

"He loves you. He wants you to be happy," she says. "He's willing to do whatever it takes. Plus, he's feeling kind of guilty about…well, pretty much every bad thing he's done to you."

My eyes water just slightly. "Thanks." I love him, too.

"Now, all you have to do is stop by the house when Koyuki is showing the house to a couple of people. Dress pretty, and don't talk. Neji and I will take care of it."

"What are you planning to do?" I ask.

"I'd rather not say. It might be considered…illegal." I sigh loudly and drop my face into my palms.

"If it's risky, then just forget about it, Tenten. I don't _have_ to have this house." Her hand slams against the dashboard.

"Yes, you do. It's made for you."

"It is not. I just have a strong liking towards it."

"Yes it is. You ran into that real estate agent Naruko, and into Kiba, both with information about the house. That cannot be coincidence."

"Of course it can," I retort. This time, she hits my knee, and I flinch from the sudden action.

"There is no such thing as a coincidence," she claims. "I keep trying to explain that to you. Everything always happens for a reason. _Every, single, tiny, little_ thing happens for a reason."

"I would like to believe that, but it's not true," I say.

"Yes, it is!" I can tell it is building up into a huge rant, so I just decide to smile and nod politely.

* * *

I arrive at my dream house at exactly 12.

There are a few cars parked out front, including Tenten's and Neji's. Another two that I don't recognize, though one of them probably belongs to the other family — "Doctors!" Tenten told me —that are viewing the house.

I can see people through the windows of the house, and I head towards the door, though I still have no idea why Tenten and Neji have begged me to go. Take a risk, I think. Just go for it.

I walk in. The first thing I notice is that Kiba is not here. Then again, why would he be here? He already knows exactly what the house looks like, especially upstairs, where he supposedly lives.

Meanwhile, the doctors behave as if they know every. He nods rapidly, impatiently, motioning for the Realtor to speed up the talk. The woman doesn't even bother to pay attention, preferring to attend to her cell phone.

Then I see Tenten. She is wearing a black pencil skirt just above her knee, and a sleeveless top. Her hair is —surprisingly— tied up in a sleek ponytail. She is covered in diamonds. Earrings, necklace, bracelet, and, of course, her new ring.

The Realtor pauses in her monologue to watch me as I make my way to Tenten. The male doctor looks to, giving me an unsettling, scrutinizing gaze from behind his glasses.

"She's with me," Tenten speaks up, and she grabs my hand.

"Excuse me," the male doctor says with a hint of annoyance. "My wife and I are on a very tight schedule, and I think everyone is already aware of this house's features."

"Are we?" Tenten says in her lawyer tone. "I have just a few questions." She reaches into her bag and pulls out a lined legal tablet, with questions written in her tiny, messy writing on each line.

The doctor groan quietly with a roll of his eyes, and I'm tempted to as well. Tenten can drag out an argument for so long that a suspect will agree with her just to get it over with —or commit suicide, whichever would come first.

"First, I want to ask about the amount of lead in the house paint. I found out that most houses in this neighborhood were built when lead-based primers were popular. Now, my friend here is considering raising a family, and would prefer not to be exposed to any lead as it would seriously compromise her pregnancy and her future children—"

"I don't care if it's solid lead!" the doctor practically snarls out. "I'm going to take down all the walls anyway." His finger taps his arm quickly, thinking. "I'll offer you ten grand above the asking price."

My eyes widen. He's going to completely destroy the place. Rip everything out and start over. I absolutely cannot let him have it.

"You're going over your original bid. You are aware of this, right?" the Realtor asks.

"I'm taking this house, and if that'll seal the deal, then fine," he says. "What time is it?" he asks his wife, nudging her slightly. She looks up from her phone, startled.

"I don't know. Twelve twenty?" She seems unconcerned, and, seconds later, her eyes are glued back to the screen. More importantly, she doesn't even seem to care.

Tenten and I look at each other. The benefit of being friends for such a long time is that we can talk to each other without even speaking. She thinks what I think, that the wife isn't in love with the house.

"Put this house under contract by twelve forty and I'll personally add in an extra percent to your commission."

She laughs slightly. "That's not necessary."

Of course it is.

"Is this water damage?" Tenten questions loudly, rocking her heels back and forth against the floorboards, producing a tiny squeaking sound.

"I don't think that is," the Realtor snaps quickly. "That's just what happens with an older house." Her voice turns sweeter. "Now, about that offer—"

"Really? It smells like it might be…"

We all sniff. It's probably my imagination and Tenten's convincing wording, but there is a vague smell of rotting wood.

"It does seem a bit damp in here," the doctor observes thoughtfully.

"You know, you're right," Tenten says, leaping at the opportunity. "Almost like mold. There isn't a mold problem, is there?"

This catches the wife's attention, who tears her eyes from her phone once again to comment that mold makes her cough, as well as her being allergic to spores and bees and certain berries as well as some pollen.

"Could be black mold." Tenten's eyes widen just enough to give a sense of alarm without looking fake. "That shit will kill you."

I refrain from lecturing about her language because I can see that it's affecting the doctors' proposal.

At that exact moment, Neji comes into the house from the back door, dressed in work clothes; holding a tool chest, a tool belt, work boots, and even a yellow hard hat for construction.

"Hey, don't mind me," he says loudly. "Just finishing up a quick job." I stare at him. He never wears a hard hat, and besides, he wasn't even in construction for this house.

Obviously annoyed, the Realtor excuses herself politely to talk to my brother. He acts flawlessly, feigning confusion, taking off his hat and even scratching his head lightly to show that he wasn't understanding her.

The wife tugs at her husband's sleeve. "Is there really mold here?" she whispers quite loudly.

"No." He glares at Tenten. "That crazy woman is just trying to mess up our deal." Then he clears his throat uncomfortably, noticing that we could hear him. "No offense," he apologizes.

"None taken," she replies. _Cough._ She clears her throat quietly.

_Cough._ Just a tiny, feminine little cough. "Oh, excuse me." She points to her throat. "I guess my throat's a little dry." _Cough_. She shoots a subtle look at me, and it clicks into place.

I pat her back softly. "Is it the dust?" I ask innocently.

"I don't think so." _Cough_. "It's like that one cough I got that last year in allergy season."

The wife gasps in shock, releasing a heavily influenced contagious cough. "It has to be mold. Remember that vacation we took, darling?" She coughs again. "It's deadly!"

"You're imagining things," her husband insists. "Everyone knows that coughs are psychologically contagious."

Tenten continues to cough. "Maybe he can tell us if there's mold," she says, gesturing to Neji.

"Good idea," the wife says. She moves towards Neji, gliding over quickly with purpose. The doctor gives us a dirty look and trudges after his wife.

"I have a question," the wife says, interrupting Neji's conversation with the Realtor. She holds up a finger.

"Hold on. We can go over the contract right after this. It's on the table."

"Is there mold?" the wife asks bluntly, talking to Neji. "You've been doing work here, right?"

Neji shuffles his feet, almost looking unsure of himself, casting hesitant glances towards the Realtor. "No, ma'am," he finally replies. "No mold, not in this house."

"Is that enough for you?" the doctor asks. "Now let's just—"

"Not on this floor, no," Neji says, cutting him off. "But in the basement. Yes. Tons of it. Black stuff in all the corners. Hard to see with the naked eye. But you get close up; it's everywhere."

They stop. "In the basement?" The doctor is shocked, and a bit suspicious. "This house is on a hill. It's not even near any water."

"It's one of those—" Neji mutters a word that I can't hear. "—basements. You know? It's too hard to remove, and it's filled with mold, crawling all over the place."

Tenten erupts into a loud coughing fit. "I knew it! You can have this house," she says. "You couldn't get me to take it for free."

"I knew there had to be something wrong with this place. The owner's trying to sell it early, before renovations were done. Everyone said it was because she was moving. But it's because there's mold, _black _mold," the wife agreed. She motions towards the door. The doctor seems more reluctant to go, but, with such a busy, busy schedule, he relents and follows.

As he walks by me, he leans in and growls, "You tricked your way into getting this house. I hope it has dry rot."

After we hear their car pull out, the Realtor turns towards us. "I could report you for this, you know."

"For what?" Tenten screeches angrily. "Give me a break. You were about to accept an illegal offer of a one percent commission increase." Tenten glares at her, placing a hand on her hip. "Mess with me and I'll make sure that you never buy or sell another real estate in this state again."

She stares at Tenten, shocked and caught off guard, never suspecting that Tenten was a lawyer.

Then Tenten calms down. "Now, if we could just negotiate a reasonable price."

The Realtor fiddles with an unsigned contract nervously. "They were going to pay 525,000 in cash. Can you pay that?"

"Four seventy-five, not cash. But this house has no downstairs kitchen, no bath, and might have mold. So take it or leave it."

The front door slams loudly and we all shut up immediately, expecting the doctors.

"Stop everything." I see that it's Koyuki, the owner. "I've already accepted an offer. This house is sold."

Neji looks nervous. I break into a cold sweat. Neji is _never_ nervous.

Koyuki's heels click loudly against the hardwood floor, matching the —what I'm sure is—loud thumping of my heart. She marches straight towards her Realtor. She thrusts a handful of papers towards the stunned woman.

"Five hundred thousand dollars, cash, like I asked. No thanks to you," she sneers in a surprisingly elegant way. The sneer is met with a speechless look.

"Let me see," Tenten says, snatching the papers away. She scans the contract, her expression sinking lower and lower the further she read.

"Shit. He really did pay cash," was the only thought her mind could produce.

"Who?" My whole body is tensed up, angry at whoever stole my dream house, whoever could have been so cruel as to go straight to Koyuki. Who could have come up with that money?

Tenten stares at me. "You'll never believe it. It was Kiba."

* * *

To: hinatahyuuga

From: sasukeuchiha

Subject: Are you going to forgive me yet?

Okay, I have left fifteen messages (including this one) on your cell, your home phone, your work phone, and anywhere else I could think of. I asked Ino, who was more than happy to share that you've been in the office, even staying overtime, so don't tell me you haven't seen it.

I can't believe you're still avoiding me.

I'm sorry for stepping over the line and telling Neji and that other guy that you and Hugh have been having trouble with your sex life. I fucked up. (I don't know how else to say it.)

Oh and by the way, are things better now between you and Hugh?

—Sasuke.

* * *

To: sasukeuchiha

From: hinatahyuuga

Subject: RE: Are you going to forgive me yet?

I forgive you. Actually, I had already forgiven you a while ago. I'm not an obsessive psycho.

But I have been really busy, so sorry for not returning your messages.

But, if you're feeling _so_ guilty, then why can't you drag your lazy butt over here and take me to a make-up lunch?

P.S. Neji mentioned you being in love with some cute young girl. Tell me who…?

P.P.S. You are never hearing about my sex life _**ever **_again.

—Hinata

* * *

To: hinatahyuuga

From: sasukeuchiha

Subject: FW: Request for tact

I'm confused. Is this a joke?

And why do you like this guy so much? What do you see in him? Sorry for being rude, but he's quite conceited.

"My book Beauty has reached a printing that…dare I say, exceeds the count of even Harry Potter. Naturally I'm as thrilled as you are."

God.

P.S. And for the record, I never asked about his goddamn book.

Attachment:

**To: sasukeuchiha**

**From: narutouzumaki**

**Hey, Sasuke. How great to hear from Hinata's best (male) friend. Thanks for the toasts and everything. Yes, I've gone and done it. Sort of.**

**Actually, I am now trying to regain my privacy regarding my personal life, so if you could just make an effort to stop this gossip, thank you. If her other friends ask about Hinata and me, just feign ignorance. Thanks.**

**I can't tell you what it's like to be stalked by the press other than, well, just that. It's like overnight, I've become famous. My book ****Beauty****has reached a printing that…dare I say, exceeds the count of even ****Harry Potter****. Naturally I'm as thrilled as you are.**

**How did I manage how to write such a great book? I get asked that constantly, and, though I don't mind you inquiring, it gets to be quite boring to keep hearing it. Anyway, I suppose I just have a natural talent for it. I've been able to see exactly what the women want, and portray it in the way they like onto paper. The jealousy of my colleagues is getting to be nearly palpable, but I guess that's just proving how well I'm doing.**

**So there you have it. Don't worry about my fantastic success; you're doing well in your own way. I won't let it go to my head, even though I've just found out that they plan to make a movie out of it.**

**I promise I'll stop by when I come to visit.**

**Naruto.**

**P.S. That girl sounds splendid, good luck. Though, isn't she a bit young…? I guess as long as you don't go too far, nothing bad will happen. (Police, you know.)**

**P.P.S. Please don't share this email with others. Fans are ruthless, and I would like the movie deal to stay quiet until it's all planned out.**

**P.P.S. There's a rumor that Hinata is engaged. Any idea as to who it is?**

* * *

Yes!

It is killing Naruto that I might be engaged to someone. Though, I'm a bit disappointed and worried that he will be returning soon.

I pick up the phone, about to call Sasuke, when a call comes in from Neji, who's been very overprotective of me lately.

"_How about you take off early and come with me to see this new house I'm working on. You'll like it." _He avoids the word 'love', as I still strongly want my dream house._ "After, I'll treat you to dinner."_

"Thanks." I sigh quietly. "But I don't want to look at another house yet. And I have too much work."

"_You have to get over this. Remember, when Naruto gets back, you two can go house hunting together. With him with you, you might be able to get a better house than that crappy dream house of yours."_

"It's not just that, Neji. It's not just losing the house. It's that Kiba went behind everyone's back straight to Koyuki and stole it from me."

"_Stole it? Come on, Hinata. You didn't even have the money for it in the first place."_

That's not the point.

"We talked about splitting it," I say instead. "I figured that at least he would call me to say the deal's off or something. But I haven't heard from him. He's just gone and stolen it."

"_Stop saying 'stolen'. It was a good investment and so he took it._

"I wanted to live there! I wanted to pass it onto my grandchildren, and all he wants is an investment!"

"_Or not. I heard that he has a girlfriend out in Greece. Maybe he wants her to move in with him and then get married. Maybe in a few years, the house will be filled with curly haired, olive eating little kids. Now wouldn't that make you happy?"_

He has a girlfriend? Then why did he kiss me? Then again, why should I care? I mean, I should be happy. I'm finally getting rid of him. Only an idiot wouldn't assume that a guy like Kiba would stay faithful for more than a week. Look at how he treats me. Flirting one minute, and then ignoring me the next.

Yes, I can happily say goodbye without a care.

Still as soon as Neji hangs up, I can't help but immediately call Tenten.

"What's this about Kiba having a girlfriend in Greece?"

"_Girlfriend?"_ She draws out a long 'hmm'. I can hear papers rustling. Probably multitasking. _"Mm, yeah. He mentioned a girl the other day. Rumors say she's gorgeous."_

Figured. A gorgeous foreign girlfriend. My mind involuntarily pictures an olive skinned lady with long, black hair in perfect waves, and cheery, bright, naturally white smile and big, green eyes.

"Did she help pay for the house.

"_Can't say anything about that."_

"Why not?"

"_Lawyer-client confidentiality."_

"Oh please. This is Kiba we're talking about, the dream house- stealer, the egomaniac—megalomaniac."

"_He didn't steal it. His decision was reasonable, legal, and well thought out. Neji and I were the ones cheating. We lied to get those people to leave. Remember? The black mold?"_

I scoff in surprise and disbelief, wondering whether this really is my best friend or not. "You can't be serious."

"_You might think I don't take this lawyer-client shit seriously, but I do."_

"Yeah, that's so believable from the way you refer to it as shit," I say dryly.

"_This is a lousy time. I'm drowning in paperwork. I'll talk to you later."_

"Whatever." I snap my cell phone shut angrily, without so much as a goodbye.

How about maybe never. I don't want to talk to her ever again. How could my so called best friend turn on me? There's a lot of bad stuff about her, but she's loyal to a fault. Defend first, ask later.

My hand presses against my cheek, and I'm surprised to feel it emanating heat, probably from all my pent up anger.

Ino barges in, and my hand drops quickly back to my waist as I take a quiet, deep breath to calm myself down. I haven't been this angry since…well, I guess that time Neji said, over the phone, that my life was meaningless when I was at my parents.

"Two dozen," she says, holding a basket of roses. Her blond hair sways slightly in its perfect ponytail.

I eye the card peeking out of the woven basket, and I immediately see it slightly ripped open, enough to peek inside.

"From who? Tell me." I'm in no mood to play games. She gives me a strange, unsure look but snaps out of it.

"How would I know?" she feigns being shocked. "I don't stick my nose into other people's business. But…" Her gaze drops to my ring. She's been going crazy over the fact that I haven't officially announced our 'engagement'.

I've been sticking to giving only vague, suggestive answers. Usually a slight blush, easy from years of awkward high school experience, and a slight shrug does the trick. Also, if forced, a "We're very excited. August, just around the corner," usually works.

This way, if they find out, I can honestly say that I have never said anything about us getting married.

It's not my fault that people automatically jump to conclusions. He was my boyfriend for _years_, anyway.

Ino stands there, eagerly waiting for me to open the card, though I make it quite obvious that I don't care for it right now. While I review papers on my desk, she busies herself around my office; dusting frames, straightening books.

"So are you going to open the card?"

I ignore her, and she finally relents about twenty minutes later and gets ready to leave.

"Just read the card before we go."

"Why?"

"Because."

Her answer is extremely unsettling. Usually at this point she would break and start gushing about everything and anything she can think of.

"After the meeting," I say, referring to the meeting in a few minutes.

"Okay. But you have to swear to tell me who it's from."

"Sure." But, taking in the fact that she most likely knows who it is already, her insistence makes the card's contents even more unnerving.

A/N:

Okay, so semi-boring chapter until the end…but skipping the house part seemed…wrong, somehow.

Let's see…1 percent of $510,000 would be $5,100 plus the average 3 percent to the Realtor (well, 6 percent, but half goes to the office) would be…$15,300. $15,300 plus $5,100 is $24,000. Wowww…that seems like a lot.


	13. Chapter 14

**Sorry for the huge wait! When I finally got around to writing this chapter, I wasn't able to post. (Kept bringing up an error message.) Plus the fact that my wireless stopped working and then my laptop crashed. Ehh, but it's all better now. So enjoy! Long recap 'cause it's been a while.

**Err…I put Sarutobi instead of Hiruzen for the Sandaime's name…Too lazy to change them…

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. (Just realized I've forgotten to put these.)

* * *

_Yes, I can happily say goodbye without a care._

_Still as soon as Neji hangs up, I can't help but immediately call Tenten._

"_What's this about Kiba having a girlfriend in Greece?"_

"_Girlfriend?" She draws out a long 'hmm'. I can hear papers rustling. Probably multitasking. "Mm, yeah. He mentioned a girl the other day. Rumors say she's gorgeous."_

_Figured. A gorgeous foreign girlfriend. My mind involuntarily pictures an olive skinned lady with long, black hair in perfect waves, and cheery, bright, naturally white smile and big, green eyes._

"_Did she help pay for the house?"_

"_Can't say anything about that."_

"_Why not?"_

"_Lawyer-client confidentiality."_

"_Oh please. This is Kiba we're talking about, the dream house- stealer, the egomaniac—megalomaniac."_

"_He didn't steal it. His decision was reasonable, legal, and well thought out. Neji and I were the ones cheating. We lied to get those people to leave. Remember? The black mold?"_

_I scoff in surprise and disbelief, wondering whether this really is my best friend or not. "You can't be serious."_

"_You might think I don't take this lawyer-client shit seriously, but I do."_

"_Yeah, that's so believable from the way you refer to it as shit," I say dryly._

"_This is a lousy time. I'm drowning in paperwork. I'll talk to you later."_

"_Whatever." I snap my cell phone shut angrily, without so much as a goodbye._

_How about maybe never. I don't want to talk to her ever again. How could my so called best friend turn on me? There's a lot of bad stuff about her, but she's loyal to a fault. Defend first, ask later._

_My hand presses against my cheek, and I'm surprised to feel it emanating heat, probably from all my pent up anger._

_Ino barges in, and my hand drops quickly back to my waist as I take a quiet, deep breath to calm myself down. I haven't been this angry since…well, I guess that time Neji said, over the phone, that my life was meaningless when I was at my parents._

"_Two dozen," she says, holding a basket of roses. Her blond hair sways slightly in its perfect ponytail._

_I eye the card peeking out of the woven basket, and I immediately see it slightly ripped open, enough to peek inside._

"_From who? Tell me." I'm in no mood to play games. She gives me a strange, unsure look but snaps out of it._

"_How would I know?" she feigns being shocked. "I don't stick my nose into other people's business. But…" Her gaze drops to my ring. She's been going crazy over the fact that I haven't officially announced our 'engagement'._

_I've been sticking to giving only vague, suggestive answers. Usually a slight blush, easy from years of awkward high school experience, and a slight shrug does the trick. Also, if forced, a "We're very excited. August, just around the corner," usually works._

_This way, if they find out, I can honestly say that I have never said anything about us getting married._

_It's not my fault that people automatically jump to conclusions. He was my boyfriend for years, anyway._

_Ino stands there, eagerly waiting for me to open the card, though I make it quite obvious that I don't care for it right now. While I review papers on my desk, she busies herself around my office; dusting frames, straightening books._

"_So are you going to open the card?"_

_I ignore her, and she finally relents about twenty minutes later and gets ready to leave._

"_Just read the card before we go."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because."_

_Her answer is extremely unsettling. Usually at this point she would break and start gushing about everything and anything she can think of._

"_After the meeting," I say, referring to the meeting in a few minutes._

"_Okay. But you have to swear to tell me who it's from."_

"_Sure." But, taking in the fact that she most likely knows who it is already, her insistence makes the card's contents even more unnerving._

* * *

Sasame (the pretty one with the red orange hair) has never missed a conference before. The niggling memory of Ino talking about her being out of the country for a long time won't leave my mind. Something is definitely going on. She would never miss a chance to suck up to our boss.

We all take our seats in the conference room. I arrange my papers neatly in front of me when a sparkle catches my eye.

My ring. The flourescent lights of the conference eyes lets loose a brilliant mix of colors. The wise thing to do would be for me to hide my hand under the table so that no one sees, but I can't resist twisting it from side to side, watching it sparkle shades of pinks, blues, and yellows. I twirl it, watching it glint with a strange fascination, until a coworker comments, "Ah, the famous Uzumaki diamond. Wow. That is huge!"

That sparks another person's attention— "I heard you got engaged. Let me see."—and before I know it, I'm being assaulted with questions about his television appearance, and why he's not here to celebrate our engagement, if I had ever thought he would propose, how long we were going out in the first place, if we're going to have kids as soon as we could or wait, if we were going to buy a house, if Naruto will continue to work here or just focus on writing, and if I'll stay, and what kind of reception we're holding, and where we are going for our honeymoon. The last question actually makes me quite uncomfortable, but I don't comment.

It's really exhausting. I wonder how actual brides handle all of this.

Ino takes advantage of the situation, begging me to let her try on the ring, but I refuse, saying "I don't want to part with it," though I just don't want her to see that the inside isn't engraved with designer initials, and that it doesn't actually look quite as expensive as they think.

Then the new girl, Ami, says, "You should get insurance for your ring. My sister, she left it in the bathroom and forgot about it. When she went back in to get it, it was gone. Only five minutes."

This story catches the attention of the women in the office, and advice started spilling from every woman, many of them people who have never bothered to talk to me just because I was single, or unmarried. It was as if being unmarried made it so that there was no possible way I would understand the trials and stress they endure through their life. But now that I'm engaged, they suddenly accept me and are welcoming into their secret club.

They insist that not only to insure my ring, but also my wedding in case of a sudden cancellation (which, actually, is quite a good idea). And then Udon suggests that I create a wedding budget so that I don't overspend (such the perfect nerd). Another adds in to make sure not to include things like "no children" on the invitations, because her ex-friend and mother of four hasn't spoken to her since.

So distracted by wedding do's and don'ts, we barely notice Sarutobi, our boss, walking in. He tosses his files onto the table, which somehow all land neatly in a pile, and clears his throat once—his way of saying "stop". Everyone immediately quiets and rushes to their seat. I hide my hand under the table.

His gaze sweeps across the room, and settles on the empty chair across the room. "Where's Sasame?" he questions. His voice is low but stern, that you can't help but listen to him.

Where _is_ Sasame, anyway?

Ino raises her hand slightly, displaying a rare show of shyness. She's petrified of Sarutobi. I don't blame her. He can be a bit intimidating sometimes.

"Europe," she says softly.

Europe? She never told me that. She just said Sasame went out of the country. Why is she in Europe, of all places?

Sarutobi raises an eyebrow, gesturing for her to continue.

"She's meeting the parents of her—" she shoots me a hesitant glance, "fiancé."

Fiancé? In Europe? Since when? She never mentioned that she had a boyfriend. And she was always going on about how she didn't like British men.

Then everything clicks together. She doesn't trash them because she hates them—it's because she loves them. Oh…god…

Naruto.

My heart stops, and I can't draw a breath. I take shallow, quiet gasps but it doesn't quite reach my lungs, and I feel as if I'm fainting. My body goes hot, and then breaks into an uncomfortable cold sweat, like a fever.

Ino has the strangest expression on her face as she watched me. Her eyes are slightly narrowed and it is like she is trying to tell me something, but without words, like she knows something that I don't. It kind of looks like she wants to laugh, or that she's accusing me of something…busting me about something.

That confirms my suspicions.

Sasame is in Europe. With Naruto. She's the mystery person. She's the secret fiancée.

"Well, that's too bad," Sarutobi says. His voice sounds distant. I see his lips moving, but I can only think of three things. Sasame. Naruto. And Europe. And also, all the (censored) things they could be doing there. People around me are talking, but I don't care, because for the first time, I can't focus at all.

Naruto and Sasame. The woman he claimed to love on national television, to love her laughter, her smile…And the more I think, the more the picture of him pursuing her while I was thinking we were still together and perfectly fine…

Of course! Sasame has been after him for months.

There was a time when she started to bump into Naruto more often. Then she lost a lot of weight, and I'm quite sure she got breast implants, she started wearing makeup more often. And then letting her hair down, and adding the highlights and lowlights that just drew your eyes to the gorgeous and enviable rich red color.

And then that one day in spring, where she and Naruto were on the picnic bench waiting for someone, and they were sitting so close, so very close, and she was giggling and flipping her long hair over her shoulder and fluttering her eyes and Naruto was laughing along with her with that loud chuckle he gives when he's deeply amused.

Or that time when she got suck and stayed home and Naruto said he checked in on her just to make sure she was okay when Ino brought up seeing his car in front of her house…

God! I am _such_ an _idiot_! Why didn't I see it? I'm a walking cliché. The girlfriend who is the last to know. I bet everyone knew. I bet they were laughing behind my back, waiting to see how long before my dense brain finally put it together. I'm so _stupid_.

Or maybe I was just blinded by love. Those girls who love their boyfriend so much they choose not to see the bad things.

That's why Ino kept making such a big deal about Sasame being on vacation and how I wasn't supposed to know where she was.

I'm not with Naruto. _She_ is!

"Hinata?"

Which means —oh, crap!-Ino knew all along that Naruto didn't propose to me. And about the fake ring. And the flowers! What were those? Why didn't I read that damn card?

"Hinata?"

Someone waves a hand in front of my face, and I jerk back in surprise.

"Daydreaming?" Sarutobi asks.

"About _Naruto_," Ino singsongs. Though now, I can see that look in her eyes, the slight smirk in her smile.

"Huh?" Sarutobi asks, a confused look on his face.

Someone moves to explain, and I launch into my planned lecture. Everything is going so smoothly. He gets distracted, focusing on my discussion, and my coworkers are listening intently, none of them suspecting that inside, I have no idea what I'm talking about.

I'm hurt. I'm mad. Everything continues to pour out. I conclude my discussion, and Sarutobi is smiling and nodding his approval. I have no idea what I just said.

"Now that Hinata is done with her report, we can get to the big news everyone is talking about."

Oh no. Not when I just found out about Naruto and Sasame.

_Remember when Hinata Hyuuga told everyone Naruto Uzumaki asked her to marry him when he really didn't? Hiruzen Sarutobi even made an announcement._

I can feel it coming. The weight of my world crashing around me.

My boss clears his throat importantly. "This weekend I learned a member of our admissions family…" I shrink into my seat.

"…is moving on. And while that makes me sad, I know that they will certainly be lucky to have Udon as part of their staff."

A round of applause. I lift my eyes, and notice, to my embarrassment, that Udon is shaking Sarutobi's hand, and no one, not even Ino, is looking at me.

This has nothing to do with my engagement. Udon's leaving. That was all!

"Yes!" I shout without thinking.

Everyone freezes.

"You don't have to be _that_ enthusiastic about it," Sarutobi says, and everyone laughs. I blush. "Unless, of course, you want his job. Which I certainly hope you do. Make sure you update your resume, dress for success, and make a good impression. Because I plan to fill his spot quickly, and yes, I am open to bribes."

And with that, the meeting is over.

Udon stops me at the door. He's shorter than me, enough so that I have to look down at him. "I'm going to miss you, Hinata."

"Thanks. I'll miss you too," I say. Though not really. He treated me like a four year old, or maybe a puppy in training.

"I'll put in a good word for you to Sarutobi. He trusts me. It'll count for a lot. Though, logically, Sasame would probably be his top choice."

Of course. She was supposed to have his job, but was passed over because Sarutobi had been looking for a right-hand man, not a woman, to attract male students or something.

"Well?" Ino asks, popping up next to me. "What do you think Sasame will do now?"

"Get everything she ever wanted," I mumble angrily.

"What?"

"What do _you_ think she will do?" I ask.

"Cut her trip short and rush home to claw and scratch her way into the job. When she finds out about the new job and that she wasn't here, she's going to freak."

She unlocks Sasame's door, dumps a pile of notes on her table, and leaves without bothering to lock it, leaving it temptingly open. I slip in and look around, just standing at the doorway, considering looking through her drawers. Maybe a picture of her and Naruto on the beach. Or his phone number on her cell phone. Or extra-large condoms (he claims he needs them).

I change my mind. I have crossed many lines recently, but this is just too much. I exit and return to my office. On my desk rests the opened envelope that came with the roses. I take a deep breath, and tug the card out.

_Hinata,_

_Meet me at the coffee store that we went to last time at 4:30 if you still want to split the house. _

_What I did, I did for you._

—_Kiba._

I take a closer look at the roses and see that it's not cut. They still have their roots attached, with little clumps of dirt. They were meant to be planted.

Wow.

* * *

So is it Sasame? And does Ino really know? Or is Hinata just being overly paranoid? Is she a little too conceited, always thinking people are talking about her engagement? And when will Kiba make his move? Was it too short? And why the random questions? *Shrug*

About halfway done with The Fake Proposal :), maybe a little further. (Random note: it was fun to write the end.)


	14. Chapter 15

**I feel bad about taking so long to update, and not including enough KibaHina…so here's another chapter. Hope for tips on improving! And uhh…too many characters in my story, not enough in the manga/anime. So yeah, my choice of girlfriend for Sasuke was…the only thing I could think of. Besides Kurenai. And that just…doesn't work. Because I think Kurenai is a feminist. And I used her before, maybe?

Note: Kiba's not there when Hinata and Anko are talking at first. And yes, Kiba is here :). And an extra little surprise. And just a little bit of NejiTen as well :)

*Captain Ne Hizuka is Tenten's imaginary fiancé, for those of you who don't remember (*cough* me)*

Disclaimer: I don't and can never hope to own Naruto. Or Hinata, or Kiba. Or Anko. Or Neji. And so on.

* * *

Chapter 15

* * *

_I change my mind. I have crossed many lines recently, but this is just too much. I exit and return to my office. On my desk rests the opened envelope that came with the roses. I take a deep breath, and tug the card out._

Hinata,

Meet me at the coffee store that we went to last time at 4:30 if you still want to split the house.

What I did, I did for you.

—Kiba.

___I take a closer look at the roses and see that it's not cut. They still have their roots attached, with little clumps of dirt. They were meant to be planted. I take a closer look at the roses and see that it's not cut. They still have their roots attached, with little clumps of dirt. They were meant to be planted.  
_

___Wow.  
_

* * *

I sit there, staring at Anko. The gorgeous _ex_-girlfriend of Sasuke with dyed deep purple hair (that somehow works for her) who is a mortgage processor or something. She slides a bunch of legal documents over to me, all crafted by my very own Tenten. No wonder she refuses to blame Kiba for 'stealing' the house and instead blamed her own 'faulty' and 'illegal' way of getting it. Apparently, Kiba had Tenten secretly draw up papers behind my back so I could buy half of my dream house.

"It's a condo agreement," Anko says. She taps the paper with her perfectly manicured nail. "Kiba Inuzuka will own the upstairs apartment and the outside of the house, included outbuildings and the garage. You would pay for and own the ground-floor unit.

I know all this. But for some reason she has to go over all the basics with me again.

She continues on, "Kiba has promised to finish the kitchen and the bathroom. In return, you have to pay the taxes on the entire property for two years. Do you agree to this?"

"I agree," I practically shout at her. Of course I would agree. Why wouldn't I agree? It was perfect.

"Then please sign at the _X_s." She points to the highlighted _X_s, and I sign away merrily, not bothering to read a single word of what I'm about to legally commit myself to.

I can barely think; it's all so overwhelming. I'm finally going to buy my dream house! I don't even need my parent's money. Or, much of it. I decided just to add it to my savings for another time.

Somehow, Kiba was able to get all the cash together and bought the whole property. My monthly mortgage will only be slightly more than my rent. There's the advantage fof a tax break when I write off the interest every year.

And the advantage of Kiba living on top of me. I mean, above. Not on top, in the apartment above.

I see Dad's name on a note, and I read it, finding out that he agreed to cosign if need be. It's weird that he knew about Kiba's house deal. Why didn't he tell me? Though, I'm not going to complain. Compared to the amount they gave Hanabi and Konohamaru, my request is almost saintly.

Anko is stamping and initialing things quickly, moving papers right along extremely efficiently. As she staples and clips things together, she says, "So, your dad mentioned you were getting married. Is that the ring?"

"Sure is," I say with confidence. I'm fairly certain she wouldn't be able to tell a real diamond from a fake one, so I thrust my hand out for her to inspect.

She sighs with admiration. "That's gorgeous. Looks kind of like one that I bought a few years ago for twelve buck. Though, that was cubic zirconium, of course." She laughs.

I laugh too. Twelve bucks! I was ripped off.

"I was sure Neji would be the next Hyuuga to get married."

"Not Neji. Never. He claimed he'd never get married."

"That's what they all say. Next thing you know, you're bumping into them at Wal-mart where they're buying thousands of dollars of kids' toys." Then she clasps her hands together in a subtle way that reminds me of begging. "So what's the deal with this Kiba person? Is he hot, or what?"

"You met him?" I ask in surprise.

"Sure. He's been in the bank all week. He's not exactly the kind of guy a woman would ignore, you know."

I feel a strange, irrational sense of pride in Anko's compliment, as if Kiba belongs to me. This is leaning towards danger. I have to keep in mind that we are just neighbors. Nothing more.

"He's a nice guy. Smart too," I say.

"I bet he is." She lets out a strange, dreamy sigh. "Then again, you're one of those brainy women. You know. You'd probably fall in love with a guy's mind rather than his ass."

I flush a little at her choice of words. "That's not true." Though I'm not necessarily big on…_that, _I do like a well-built guy as much as the next woman. (Though maybe not that much compared to Tenten, who enjoys them a little _too much_.) Anyway, can't a guy be like that and also be smart?

"I don't know if you've notice, but that Kiba of yours has one fine ass," she says offhandedly.

"Done signing papers?"

Kiba's voice comes from behind me, and I can tell he has that huge (_adorably hot_) smile, as if he knows exactly what we had been talking about.

"Done." Anko slides her chair out, and stands up. "I just have to run upstairs real quick. I'll be right back." She makes a huge show of pretending to check the clock.

"Well," Kiba says. "I hope I wasn't to forward, skipping the real estate agent and going straight to Koyuki. It was the only way we could get it before someone else bought our house."

He called it _our_s.

"You weren't. That was brilliant. It was so thoughtful and considerate. And thank you for the roses."

"It was a pleasure."

"It was? Even though you had to put up with Koyuki?"

He looked —adorably—confused, and I started second guessing myself. Maybe the thing at the coffee store wasn't business. Were they dating?

"Unless you two are together," I say quickly. "If so, then…she's a beautiful woman with a great personality.

He grinned. "No, Hinata. We are not dating."

"Then in the coffee shop…?"

"It was just to talk about the house." The way he said it was weird though, as if he only wanted to talk about the house, but Koyuki wanted something _more_.

"Speaking of love interests…" His hand casually brushes against my leg, sending tingles up my spine and my mind clouded pleasantly at the touch. "How's Naruto taking the news that you bought a house he hasn't seen yet?"

His eyes are a brown color. Weird. I could've sworn they were dark blue for some reason. "Your jacket?" I mumble softly.

"Huh?" He gives me a strange look.

"I think the color of your jacket changes your eye color."

"Hinata." His eyes narrow slightly. "You're avoiding my question. You _did_ tell him about the house, right?"

"Yup."

"You're a hundred percent sure he's okay with this? I don't want to get in the middle of an argument. You've been going out for three years, and I'd hate for a condo to screw things up."

"It'll be fine," I say absentmindedly. I can't stop thinking about his eyes. "He loves the house."

Anko returns. "Hi, uh, Mr. Inuzuka? The head of mortgages would like to meet you."

"What about me?" I ask. Call me immature, but I feel a bit hurt for being left out.

"Maybe later, Hinata. There's some, uh, _history_ in Mr. Inuzuka's background that he would like to discuss."

That sounds ominous. Drug charge? Criminal record?

"Don't worry, I'm used to it," Kiba says.

So he's _used_ to being a felon. Great. I could ask my dad for help, but I really hate to pull strings.

With Kiba off to discuss whatever with the head of mortgages, I take the time to call my mom and squeal about the house.

She answers immediately.

"_Hey, honey. We were just talking about you."_ I bet she had pulled a chair over to the phone just so she wouldn't miss my call.

"We?"

"_Your dad and I. We have huge news!"_

Let me guess. The wedding now has some extra little thing added that people won't even notice. "Yeah?"

"_You engagement party's date is set."_

"I don't know, Mom. Naruto might not be back yet."

"_Don't worry, dear. Naruto can make it. In fact, he's looking forward to it."_

I sit up straighter to look across the room. Kiba and the bank president are walking side by side, shaking hands and chatting happily. The president is practically salivating over Kiba. What gives?

…Wait a second. Did she just say that Naruto was looking forward to our engagement party?

"Can you repeat that?" I ask nervously.

"He's thrilled about the party! He said he can't wait to come back."

I feel faint and dizzy, my mouth dry, and I can't seem to move. A shock runs though me, similar to what I imagine as a small scale heart attack. "You called him?"

"No. You told me not to."

Thank God. If she had called him…

"_Your father ran into him just a few minutes ago."_

My heart feels like it jumps out of my chest, and then froze up. I almost expect to see it on the ground next to my feet, looking pitifully still. "Where?"

"_At the doorstep of your apartment. Dad was driving by, on his way from work, and Naruto was there ringing your doorbell. You should really give the kid a key. He's your fiancé, for heaven's sake."_

"NARUTO!" I jump out of my seat. "HE SHOWED UP AT MY APARTMENT?"

Funny how easily sound can bounce in a bank. Anko is staring at me with wide eyes, and the president too. Kiba…I can't even bear to see what his reaction is.

He can't be here. He can't. He said he wouldn't be here until next week. Not _this_ week.

"_Oh." _Mom sighs guiltily._ "It was supposed to be a surprise, wasn't it? Naruto told Dad that it was a surprise, and naturally, he let it slip his mind. Men are so clueless about things like surprises. I was just so happy because Dad did make sure that Naruto knew about the engagement party."_

Okay. Naruto is here. Dad invited him to the engagement party. I mean—_our_ engagement party. After I hinted in an e-mail to him that while I might be engaged, I'm not necessarily engaged to _him_.

And that was probably why he was at my door, curious to see who, exactly, was replacing him. Though there's no doubt now…Dad told him, and probably quite bluntly, that we are supposed to be getting married.

"Everything okay?" Kiba asks.

"Yup." I slide my phone shut, trying to look perfectly calm and, most importantly, _sane_.

"Sounds like Naruto's back in town."

"Yup," I say again. "Apparently, it was a surprise. When can I move into my new house?"

"Naruto's eager to settle in, huh?"

"I am. So when?"

Kiba frowns in thought. "The kitchen needs to be finished. Three…maybe four weeks."

"So tonight. Great. See you then," I shout, rushing out and heading home to make an escape.

* * *

"Why do you have to pack up this apartment you've been living in for, like, fifteen years and move out overnight?" Tenten asks.

"Because. Naruto is back and he showed up on my doorstep."

"And?"

"So, if he showed up once, he'll show up again. And the next time, he'll probably bring Sasame just to rub it in my face that I'm mentally insane and that he found the perfect girlfriend-slash-fiancée to replace crazy old me."

"If you want I could take her out." She looks up with a devious sparkle in her eye. "No marks. My people don't leave evidence."

I'd like to meet Tenten's people one day. Or, actually, maybe not.

I stuff more bed sheets into the garbage bag. Not the tidiest way of cleaning, but it's fast.

Good news is that my landlord was initially going to give me a hard time about moving out right after I renewed my lease. He even took out my contract and pointed out the small, miniscule font that said I was supposed to find a sub-tenant if I decided to move out early.

So I pointed out that he was supposed to remove all the rodents in the room. (Anzu, who's a terrier and supposed to catch the stuff, just sits there, watches TV, and ignores them.) And that was when he saw my ring.

Then after that it was perfectly fine. He was overjoyed that I was getting married after living in his apartment for so long. Kept saying how he never thought it would ever happen to me, that he thought I would grow up to be a nun, et cetera, et cetera…As a gift he ripped up the lease.

It's amazing, the power of the ring. It has the power to destroy leases.

Tenten wraps a plate in newspaper and places it into a box slowly. Then she takes a sip of her wine. Another small movement, and another sip of wine. Pack. Sip. Pack. Sip. I'd take a snail over her at this point. At this rate, not only do I have to haul a bed, a dresser, a couch, and other heavy appliances, but also a dead-weight drunk.

Finally she tapes it close, only to dump it carelessly by the door. And then she spends a great deal of time peeking out of the window to see if Neji or Naruto are here, whomever should be first to come.

Neji promised to move my bed and couch so I can sleep in my new house (my body still tingles in excitement at that phrase) tonight.

Taking a break, I pour myself a glass of wine and sit down with a bowl of chips next to Tenten, who has stationed herself in a perfect place to watch the people outside.

"How's your engagement going?" I ask, setting the chips down between us.

"Fantastic. I'm almost done registering. Just in time for the party." Tenten's firm is throwing her a party for her and the mysterious Ne Hizuka that she's engaged to, in hopes of seeing him. I'd give anything for that kind of rich expensive party.

Actually, never mind. Right now I'd rather have real friend tortilla chips. The baked ones just don't taste quite the same. "Yeah? What have you registered for?"

"What _haven't_ I registered for, you mean." She reaches lazily over her seat and snatches her purse, before pulling out a folder overflowing with papers.

"Don't you think that's a bit greedy?" I ask.

"Nah. It's more like giving my guests a wider range of possible presents to give."

"What guests? You don't have any guests."

"Sure I do. I have a hundred and fifty. I'm just missing a living, breathing groom." She hands me a sheet of neatly organized information about the items she's registered for. I raise an eyebrow. Right at the top of the list is a $2,799 exercise equipment.

"And who is going to buy you something worth two thousand eight hundred dollars?" She shrugs.

"It doesn't hurt to ask. If you'll notice, I've also registered for less expensive items under a hundred dollars. Like the cat hammock, for forty nine dollars."

"What are you, high? You don't even _have_ a cat."

"What if Anzu visits?" I narrow my eyes at her.

"Anzu is a _dog_."

She clicks her tongue thoughtfully. "Dog, cat…It's just a piece of suspended cloth. I'm sure the hammock won't care what kind of animal is sitting on it."

At that very moment, Anzu waddles around the corner. She's not fat…just slightly chubbier than a normal dog. And much lazier. She makes a break for the door, but, nearing the steps, she slows down and practically collapses onto the floor and falls asleep.

"Anzu is not going to visit," I say to her. She rolls her eyes and hands me another sheet. Tiffany & Co. "Since when did you care about all this stuff? What about places like Kohl's, or Macy's, or something cheaper?"

"I have those too," she says without shame. "You know, I've noticed that men like me more now that I'm engaged."

"What are you talking about? Men have always liked you."

"Yeah, but now they _really_ like me. Two of my clients asked me out since I've gotten the ring. They all asked me who it was and if I've thought about the consequences of settling down with just one person. Then they ask me to dinner, as if trying to change my mind."

"And you're complaining because…? I'd love to have a rich man take me to dinner and for expensive wine."

"I think it's like a biological thing. Like, now that I 'belong' to someone, they suddenly have to fight for me."

Is that true? With me, men haven't…Well, there is Sasuke. He's been flooding me with e-mails fretting over my engagement and my wedding, and after decades of just being best friends.

And Kiba. Okay, he's not interested in me….he _might_ be, but only as a downstairs neighbor. Besides, there's that gorgeous girlfriend of his from Greece. I'm positive I'm probably nothing compared to her.

Neji pulls up in the parking lot, and suddenly Tenten sits up straighter.

"Uh oh. I've got to get myself together." Then she flees to the bathroom.

What is going on with her and Neji?

"Hard day?" I ask him as he comes in.

"Yeah." He seems tired, and I can tell he just wants to move everything and get home as soon as possible. "Where's Naruto? Mom says he's in town. Shouldn't he be helping you move?"

"Jet-lagged," I blurt out.

"That's not an excuse. You're moving. He shouldn't be leaving all the hard work for his future brother-in-law." There's a bitter tone to his voice, and I'm pretty sure he still has some resentment buried deep in his heart.

We carry the stuff to the curb, where he spots Tenten's car. "She here alone?"

I have no idea what that's supposed to mean. Then I remember Captain Hizuka. Captain Ne? Well…her fiancé, basically. "Yeah, she has the night off, so she's helping me pack."

He lowers the box to the sidewalk. "You need to talk her out of it."

"Huh?"

"The stupid wedding. I mean, come on. The guy is never around. He could be leading a double life with another wife. He could just be a scum after her money." I almost laugh. Is he jealous? This is the first time I've seen him jealous. I never expected it to be quite so theatrical.

"Captain Hizuka is not scum. He happens to be very close to his family," I say defensively, having grown rather fond of the imaginary captain.

Neji scoffs. "It's gotta be bullshit. Captain _Ne Hizuka_," he practically sneers.

Tenten reemerges, her makeup redone with that flawless beauty that makes her eyes sparkle and her lips shine and cause you to stare in wonder even when you try not to. At the sight of her, Neji starts grabbing stuff he doesn't need to move and starts hauling them over to the car.

We drive over to my new house. Tenten following us with Anzu in her carrier, whining pitifully. I know it's only about a half mile away, but Anzu gets really anxious about change. She has a real hard time adjusting.

Kiba is waiting in front, and when we stop, he starts helping out. With his help, we set my dresser in the bedroom while they bring in the couch. Meaning that Tenten holds open the door while Kiba and Neji move it in. Now I'm certain he's trying to impress her, because he insists on single-handedly hauling in the heavy furniture, all the while bragging about how strong he is. Subtly.

"Like to see Captain Hizuka try this." Very, very subtle. I almost laugh again. If only he knew.

We finally finish, and Tenten whips up a light but tasty dinner, and we watch some TV.

Finally, Neji and Tenten leave, Kiba and I waving goodbye as if we are a couple. It's not until they turn out of sight that I realize how very comfortable the idea of being a couple is. And, ironically, how it makes it feel so awkward.

"Well, here we are," Kiba says.

"Yup. Home sweet home." He looks rather —ahem—_sexy_, with the streetlight on his hair, and the wind blowing, ruffling it ever so slightly. My mind drifts off, imagining what it would be like if we were really together.

"Too bad Naruto couldn't make it." I shake out of my daydreams.

"It's just jet lag. It takes him a while to recover."

"Is he going to move in, or are you guys going to wait until you're married, like the old-fashioned way?" I can't tell because of the shadows, but I'm positive he has that huge grin plastered on his face like usual.

"The old-fashioned way. My mom prefers it that way. If you met her, you'd understand."

"I'd like to meet your mother if she's anything like you."

My skin prickles and I'm sure a blush is creeping over my face like when I was younger. I turn away slightly to hide it. "She's nothing like me. Or at least, I hope she isn't."

We take the plates inside. I stare at the kitchen, and suddenly it strikes me how sad and depressing it looks, and I feel the strange urge to cry.

That's when I feel his arm around my shoulders, warm and comforting. "Don't worry, I'll have the kitchen finished before your wedding. That's what you're worried about, right? That Naruto will hate it."

_No. I'm worried you'll hate me when you find out I've been lying to you this whole time about an engagement, especially after you put all this effort into getting me my dream house._

"No, it's not that," I say instead. "I'm just tired. And filthy. I really want to take a shower now."

"You'll have to use mine." He leads me there and leaves me alone to wash up. I shampoo my hair, and instantly feel much better. I turn off the water, and grab the towel, only to find that it barely covers my body.

"Uh, Kiba?" I call out embarrassedly, peeking my head out the bathroom door. "You towel is…a little small." He comes down the hallway. His shirt is unbuttoned—probably about to change—and my eyes are drawn to his chest.

He hands me a big white t-shirt. "Sorry, this is all I have." I tug it on. It just reaches my mid-thigh.

"Thanks." He's sitting on his bed, reading.

"No problem. You'll have to let yourself in tomorrow. Neji and I will be out. Feel better?"

"Yup."

I'm stalling. I know I am. He probably knows too. But I don't want to leave. I want to stay in his room and sit on the edge of his bed and ask questions. Why do you read so much? Did you ever go to college? Who's the Greek girlfriend I keep hearing about? Why don't you have a Greek accent? What do you think about me? _Do_ you think about me? What do you want out of life?

And somewhere, deep in my mind, I know. I want to stay. I want to be here, because I'm falling in love and I want him to feel the same. I want to be with him.

But all I can say is, "Good night."

* * *

**Surprise? Heh. Well, he had to come back _some_ time. And she had to realize that _some_ time. So why not pack it all into a single chapter?

I'll pause here to let you soak in all the events. (The truth: it's spring break and I haven't done the crapload of homework my teachers assigned me. Once I finish, I can get another chapter out, hopefully by next week. But I need to warn you. My sense of time is screwed up. What feels like two days for me is probably a week or two in reality.)


	15. Note: Sorry!

I didn't want to do this because it would make you think there's a new chapter, but I feel that I should.

It's on my profile: I can't use Word to type because Office is requiring an activation key (yeah, I never entered one...) and until my mom can find it and I can enter it, it won't let me type anything.

If you're wondering, I'm using Notepad to type this. And yes, I could type another chapter on Notepad, but I have half the chapter on Word and it won't even let me copy and paste. Ugh!

Anyways, sorry...I'll try to get it as soon as possible.

(This note will be removed once I get it working again.)


	16. Chapter 17

So I attempted the tip I got from bubblesrox33 of changing the date back to when I first got this laptop. I guess my laptop hates me or it's too smart because it didn't work, but thank you for at least giving me a suggestion. I love this story so much that I decided that, just for you guys, I would retype the whole thing with Notepad (because I can't copy and paste, but I can still look at what's been saved) on account of my mom not wanting to look for it until I clean my room up...Yeah...sorry for this long note, and I hope you like this chapter! Now, Notepad doesn't have Spellcheck and the one on FF doesn't have their names (like Hinata, Kiba) saved in so I hope I didn't make any mistakes. I re-read it, but I might have missed some stuff.

Sometimes I forget to double space, so I hope I didn't leave any weird single spaced sentences. It's not very long, either.

* * *

Chapter 16

* * *

Since my old address isn't really my address anymore and I refuse to let my Mom give my new one to anyone (just in case Naruto "hears" about it and finds me), wedding gifts have been sent to my office, and it's piling up.

White boxes with gorgeous shimmery silver or champagne gold bows and mountains of white tissue paper. Plate after plate of beautiful china, with the edges etched in gold and beautiful hand drawn designs. High quality cooking pans, high-end cutlery. Teacups. Saucers. Bowls. Pretty much anything that was related to the kitchen.

And the strangest thing...I haven't registered for anything. Someone must be signing me up for all this in my place. Naturally, my first suspect is Hanabi. Only she would have such elegant and refined tastes (part of her distaste for Tenten, who, normally, cannot be bothered with attempting to rise to Hanabi's extreme standards). If it were my Mom, she would choose plain, sensible, useful items instead.

"Another one." Ino staggers in with another box. "It's heavy!"

Oh, no.

"This is the life, right?" she says, watching me untie another silver bow. "Get engaged. Then go online and sign up for gifts, and then you're pulling three-hundred-dollar gifts from shipping trucks."

"Oh, wow!" she gasps, reading the card as I pull out a...salmon platter, it says on the box. "It's from the dean!" A glass platter with 14-karat gold etching, apparently. Because who wouldn't want to serve fish on an expensive gold plate?

This is getting really out of hand. How does he even know I'm getting married? Mom. She probably sent a wedding invitation to the dean. The dean who hardly knows me. I keep reminding her only to invite close friends and family. And she keeps on "forgetting."

Now I've got the dean to add to my list of people who I owe apologies to. And the other list for a thank-you note. I've been writing note after note at night while Kiba works on the kitchen.

Kiba and I have been doing a lot of talking during the painting and note-writing time. Mostly he tells me stories of his childhood. Coincidentally, where he was born it was traditional for homes to be passed from mother to daughter. So to him, it's perfectly natural for me to present my future husband with a home.

Other than be a great storyteller (because, come on, almost all of them are so outrageous that they don't seem to hold a single spark of truth, though I enjoy them greatly) is that he encourages me to be a self-reliant homeowner. For example, when the bathroom faucet broke, he showed me how to fix it. Which I learned was quite simple to do.

But no matter how much self-reliance I had, it couldn't help me a few weeks after I moved in, and disaster struck.

It was a Saturday night. I was alone, naturally. Tenten was off to a club and Sasuke was at another club that had too many teenagers for me to even imagine visiting. So I sat there, staring at the TV, trying very hard not to think about where Kiba went on his date.

Well, I was pretty sure it was a date. Around six, maybe six-thirty, I head him leave. He was taking the steps two and a time. He was whistling and her look good. Just showered, his hair still damp. A neat button down shirt with dark wash jeans. Casual date, but not too casual. Probably a slightly classier woman. Not that I was spying on him. Of course not.

Six turned to nine. Nine turned to one. I had finished a pint of ice cream in that time. I refused to acknowlege the fact that I was heartsick over that fact that Kiba wasn't back. Because that meant that he might be having fun with another woman.

Usually, he would be back by nine. He'd see my light on, come over, snatch a little something from the fridge. We'd chat a bit, he'd make his usual inquiries about Naruto, and then he'd have to leave to go upstairs.

Finally, after waiting hours, I slipped into a loose t-shirt and went to bed. Only to be awakened by the faint creaking of bedsprings above. Kiba and someone...I threw my pillow over my head, trying to drown out the sounds as I tried to ignore the full on blush I had (from embarrassment? or maybe...jealousy?)

I couldn't drown it out. So I decided to go to the kitchen. That was when I heard it. A drip, drip, drip. Or maybe more like a gush. There was a leak. A serious leak.

After checking various places, I discovered it was in the basement. A pipe had burst, and there was at least an inch of water on the floor, and it was still steadily rising.

What to do?

I couldn't just go and knock on Kiba's door. As much as I would love to break apart him and this woman he brought home, I had my dignity to consider, as well as Kiba's.

Finally I decided that I would call him, so that I wouldn't actually have to see them. So I ran upstairs, listening to his phone ring in the kitchen above me. Only his machine. I hysterically babbled something about broken pipes and hung up, and waited.

Nothing. He didn't call back. he didn't go to the basement. I didn't even hear him go to the kitchen to check the message.

How could he ignore this crisis? How could he ignore me? Suffice to say, my embarrassment had pretty much blazed into infuriation. I dashed upstairs and started pounding on the door.

"Kiba! Open up! I know you're in there! There's an emergency in the basement!"

After what seemed like a few minutes, I heard the sound of delicate footsteps approaching the door. The door opened. There stood probably the world's most beautiful women, at least based on any I've ever seen. Taller than most, yet not quite supermodel lanky. Smooth olive skin with just a hint of flush (I decided not to think about why she was flushed). Big brown eyes with jealousy inducing long lashes. Black hair that held a natural curl that fell over the shoulder of Kibab's t-shirt. The one that I borrowed when i had to borrow his shower. Except it looked a bit larger on her.

"Hi," I said, a bit awkwardly.

"Hinata?" she asked, her light voice filled with a foreign accent.

"Uh, I have to speak to Kiba. It's an emergency."

"Hinata. No Kiba," she said after processing my sentence.

"Please, it's important." I figured her English was about as good as my Greek, so I pointed to the bedroom. "I need to talk to Kiba."

A man yelled something in Greek, and she yelled back to him, and suddenly Kiba appeared in only his jeans. I was so mortified that I kept my eyes on the foreign girl, not daring to look at him.

"Hinata. Kiba's not here," the man said. "I'm his cousin."

Cousin? I took a closer look and realized it wasn't Kiba. Sure, they looked similar, but this guy was much younger.

"Kiba's cousin," he repeated in flawless English. "So what's wrong?"

He must have sensed my confusion, because he said, "Kiba let us use his place. We're not supposed to...uh...you know...until we get married next year. Her parents are strictly traditional and would disown her if they found out."

She held her hand up, showing a sapphire and diamond ring. "Engaged!"

The one English word she knew. Then again, I bet it's the one English word that every woman knows.

"Wait, I thought Kiba was engaged to her...?" I said.

He laughed, and translated it to her, and then she laughed also. "Kiba. Old," she said, and shook her head.

He was so not old. Kiba was perfect. Handsome. Funny. Extremely sexy. He was fantastic!

Best of all, he wasn't engaged.

"The emergency?" he asked, tapping me on the shoulder.

Right. The emergency. "There's a pipe in the basement that burst. Water's rising."

It didn't matter much anymore. The house could flood and wash away for all I cared. Neji probably misunderstood. And Tenten was so busy she didn't pay attention when I asked her.

Then the phone rang, and he left off to talk to Kiba. I could faintly hear Kiba instructing him how to fix it as he headed toward the basement.

"Does Kiba have a girlfriend?" I asked her after a few moments of silence. Her face scrunched, trying to comprehend.

"Kiba. Engaged?" I rephrased.

"No!" She shook her head. "No." Then, tilting her head coyly, she asked "You like Kiba?"

What the hell. She didn't understand English. "I do."

She smiled, her features becoming even more beautiful. "That's good. Very good for Kiba. I'll tell him."

* * *

I think I've been dragging this out too long and I bet you guys are getting bored. So I'm going to bring it to an end it three to five chapters.


	17. Chapter 18

I've been trying to review every story I read because I think it's fun to imagine the smile I give them as a thank you for writing a story for my (well not me directly, but you know...) enjoyment. I read a lot, though, and usually every day I'm just trying to get through the alerts I have. Sometimes it takes me two weeks up to a month to actually get to one story, that's how many stories I have on alert. It's bad, but I'm addicted.

**Well anyways, I've been trying to mix writing this and studying for finals (my school isn't out yet, but all the other schools are...it sucks!) so...yup. But summer break for me is almost here! I get out June 17.**

Oh, and sorry for this long note and I don't even know if you read it, but one more thing. I had this weird idea where Naruto believes in aliens and is dead-set on the idea that Sasuke is not from Earth. Ha. I'm so strange.

Warning: Beware of all the crap Hinata has been spoon-fed by Naruto!

* * *

Chapter 18

* * *

I am at my desk when Ino barges in with another gift, this one more of a devastating surprise.

"You have to call me when Sasame gets back to her office. I want to be here when she sees all these presents."

"Sasame is coming back today?" I ask, forcing myself to sound calm. I don't want to come across as alarmed or slightly homicidal.

"You didn't know? She's been home for weeks."

"Let me guess. She flew in a month ago."

Ino counts her fingers. "Actually, yeah! About when you moved into your new house. She hasn't been to the office because of...Well, you know. It's kind of embarrassing."

"Right." She pretends I know she knows I know, and she pretends she knows I know she knows. Very confusing, but I just play along to avoid the possible fight or confrontation.

Then I hear it. The high nasal giggle Sasame makes only when she's flirting. Which means she isn't here by herself.

I bet she brought Naruto.

* * *

This is my resolution: I am not going to make a big deal about Sasame and Naruto finally making their entrance as a couple. I mean, it was bound to happen eventually and now everyone will know that Naruto is not marrying me, that he's with Sasame, who is most likely flashing her ring, the huge Uzumaki ring that has been passed generation to generation, and giggling about how he swept her off her feet.

Yes. It'll be fine. How could it not?

Too bad I spent $20 to FedEx him all the stuff he'd left in my old apartment. His razor, his shaving cream, toothbrush, a couple pairs of pants...

It would have been lovely to carry them downstairs and drop the entire box at his feet so everyone would see that he was practically married to me when he proposed to Sasame.

This fantasy is running through my mind when my phone rings. The shrill scream causes me to jump so bad I spill my coffee all over my table. It's Ino. I bet she's just dying to tell me how she knew that the engagement was a fraud.

Silence. I decide to start the conversation first.

"Is Sasame back?" In my mind, I can see her smug, secretive grin.

"Uh-huh. You seen her yet?"

"Not yet."

"Well..." she drawls. "You're in for a real shock. Biggest diamond I've ever seen."

The Uzumaki family diamond. I knew it. Naruto told me once that it had been passed from some foreign king to his great-great grandmother, who in turn passed it down through her family. He used to say it would be mine one day, that together we'd remove it from the vault and people would gather and be smiling and bursting with joy because only an Uzumaki truly in love would give it to a non-Uzumaki.

"Are you okay?" Ino asks. "I know the suspense must be killing you."

Truth is, I'm not okay. My stomach is twisted in so many knots over the thought of confronting Sasame and getting it over with versus avoiding her until I explode.

"I'm fine." Sasame's door slams shut and I hang up. It's now or never. No use in prolonging the unavoidable.

I march across to her office and knock harshly on her door.

"Come in," she calls out.

Flowers, my mind, and my nose, registers. Tons of them. White lilies. Red roses. Pink roses. Pink carnations. Bouquets with sprigs of baby's breaths and flowers so beautiful and flawless they must be fake, save for the perfume wafting through the room that is so sickeningly sweet that I nearly pass out. Despite the fact that her air conditioner was on full blast.

"Hello, Sasame," I say, after blinking back a few tears at the sweet, sweet, overpowering sweet air.

She doesn't even look up, keeping her head bowed over her paperwork. "Please leave."

"No, I won't go. You and I have to clear the air."

"I don't want to." She flips a paper over nonchalantly, moving to the next item in the file. "I know why you're here. You know why we're here. Therefore, we have no reason to talk. Let's try to get through this the best we can until it's over."

Not even two months engaged, and yet their relationship is nearly ending? I bet she never really liked him, just stole him to spite me. "And how soon, exactly, do you think it'll be over?"

"Any day now."

And then Naruto will come back to me? Or he used her to end our relationship? I think some guys are like that...can't leave unless there's another woman. Especially Naruto, who has definite mommy issues.

"Maybe you don't understand, Sasame. This experience has been really painful."

"No more painful for you than for me."

I step closer, hoping she'll pay attention to me instead of the paperwork in front of her. "Really? No matter what you've been through, and least the man you loved didn't annouce that he was marrying someone else and then admit that after three years in a relationship he was never attracted to you."

Slowly, Sasame raises her eyes... I let out a gasp.

"Are you talking about Naruto Uzumaki,_ the_ Naruto Uzumaki, you're future husband?"

Her left hand, which had been hidden from view by the manila folder until now, is bare. Well, mostly. Except for that silver band she always wears. No Uzumaki diamond.

Oh. Crap.

"Or are you talking about what I'm talking about?" she continues.

"What _are_ you talking about?" I ask cautiously.

Her head tilts as she ignores my question. "Are you saying that when Naruto proposed...it wasn't to_ you_?"

"I..." Of all the people to spill to, Sasame would be my last choice. My very, very last choice.

I search my mind for a new topic, and blurt out the first thing that comes up. "What happened to your face?"

She touches her purple cheek self-consciously.

"Did someone...hit you?" I ask.

"His name is Dr. Kabuto."

"A _doctor_ beat you?"

"More like cut and mangled me. If I'd known he'd had an addiction to painkillers, I wouldn't have let him anywhere near me with the knife."

I ponder her words, taking a closer look at the bruise. Then I see the small scars and everything makes sense.

"Plastic surgery?"

"Gone wrong," she completes. "Very, Very wrong. Even when he tired to correct it, it went wrong. There. Now you know. I'm suing him, and he's trying to get me to drop the charges with flowers and bribes, but nothing can change the fact that I'm stuck with this face until it heals up enough for more surgery to fix it. With a better doctor."

"It's not so bad," I say in condolence.

"Please," she snorts.

So that's why Sasame was out of the country. And why Ino didn't want anyone to know where she went. Ino was covering for her.

Poor, poor Sasame. How awful. And she was so beautiful, too. There was no need for plastic surgery. I should hug here, let her know that we all love her just the way she is.

"Oh, Sasame!" I cry, rushing towards her with open arms.

"Don't touch me!" she yelps, pushing me away so hard I fly back into the cabinets. "Your pity is the last thing I want."

"But-"

"Your life is perfect. You're engaged to Naruto and you just got a new house. And -God!- you've gotten so fit and tan while I've been away it makes me sick. I've put on ten pounds, spending every day on my couch stuffing my face, hiding from everyone."

I fight the temptation to say thank you, that, yes, I've been working out and exercising at the gym and getting my nails done and using the spray-on tan Hanabi recommended (forced) me to use.

But that would be impolite. Plus, there are more important things to talk about.

"Listen, about Naruto. What I said...it kind of came out wrong."

"Oh, no. It came out perfectly right. You said he didn't find you sexually attractive. You also said something about not being the person he proposed to on television. Don't deny it. You_ did_."

Damn. Sasame never listens, but I let one teeny tiny personal fact slip and, _bam!_ her brain is a sponge. And she's just the kind of sly, manipulative person who wouldn't think twice about using it to her own advantage.

"Gosh, I have to get back to work. It's getting late," I mumble. "Sorry about this misunderstanding. Hope you feel better. Sorry about your face." I cringe slightly at my insensitive choice of wording. "It's not so bad," I try to correct. "We should get together for a drink sometime."

I reach the door, and at the same time, three sharp knocks. And of course Ino doesn't wait to be invited in. Throwing the door open, she heads straight for me.

"Sarutobi. He needs to see you, like, _right now_." Her face looks stressed out. As if something big is happening. What have I done lately?

Oh. Right. I crushed a girl's dream, whose parents happen to be one of our benefactors. Excuse me for thinking that it was a risky and illogical plan to want to become a Supreme Judge and also take off a couple years to birth and raise three children. I swallow, hard. There was nothing wrong with what I thought about her plan (it wouldn't work out) but it could cost me my job since her parent donate a lot of money.

"How mad is he?"

"I don't know," Ino replies. "I've never seen him like this before. It's scary."

I can feel Sasame smirking behind my back with vengeful joy.

* * *

I hope that answers the question about Sasame. And sorry this took over a month.


	18. Chapter 19

7/1/11 Update: Just a note, "Sarutobi" refers to the Third Hokage, which is why he was so horrified (you'll understand once you get to the bottom of the chapter if you haven't read it yet.)

10/15/11 Update: No need to reread it if you already did before, I'm just reposting it because Notepad does not have spellcheck and I just noticed some spelling errors from typing to quick. I can't believe no one pointed them out because there were like...fifteen of them.

* * *

Chapter 19

* * *

Sarutobi's huge office is quite impressive, with its leather couches and imported wooden chair. Books lining the shelves. A beautiful mahogany desk facing the fireplace that is always lit during the colder months. It draws in parents to enroll their students into the school, the sophisticated, intelligent atmosphere exactly what they feel their children need. Many tuition deposits written right on the couch in the room. He always keeps his door open.

However, his door is closed today.

This is so not good.

Ino holds up a finger for me to wait as she buzzes him. Only for him is she respectful enough to not do the knock-and-barge-in routine.

"He's ready." She leads me to the door.

I can honestly say that I have never dreaded anything as much as this meeting with Sarutobi. I hate being in trouble. I was that shy little girl in high school that no one ever noticed until you tripped over her and she squeaked and dashed away in embarrassement, too stricken to even stutter out an apology. The girl that was the teacher's pet that always did everything right. I go out of my way to avoid trouble. I pay my bills the first day of the month. I never cheat on taxes. I got pulled over once, and I was so embarrassed and nervous about it that I threw up. On the officer's shoes. Who, thankfully, let me go with a warning and even apologized for "frightening" me.

"Remember," Ino says, "whatever happens is always for the best. Take a deep breath and good luck."

I breathe deeply.

Sarutobi is standing at the window, his hands clenched behind his back. Oh, god. He never clenches his hands unless he's really, really pissed.

It's so bad, whatever I've done to...Kyra, was that her name?, that he doesn't even turn around or tell me to sit down. He just asks me how long I've been working there.

My mind scrambles to count the time as I stutter out an "uh...", despite the fact that I spend endless nights lying in bed asking myself why I still work at the same place after fifteen years.

"Fifteen years."

"Fifteen years," he repeats. He shakes his head as if he's amazed by it. "I hate to lose you after fifteen years."

My blood runs cold. I can't stand the idea of being fired. The rejection. The explanation. Having to go to the unemployment office, going job searching. Spending afternoons in the house watching random soap operas. Well, the last one isn't too bad.

"But that's what's going to happen if I don't do something right now. Lose you. It's happened in the past. Not very easy to let them go."

Think fast, I tell myself. This is my only opportunity to save my job.

I'll tell him that I meant well. That I was only trying to encourage her to enjoy life. Don't want super stressed kids throwing themselves off the top of libraries and all that.

"Then, years later...you ask yourself, 'Whatever happened to so and so.' Wonder if they landed on their feet. If there could have been a way other than letting them go," he continues to ramble.

"There is a way!"

"You're right. There is. That's why I'm offering you Udon's position. That is, if you and Naruto haven't made plans to move on..." He watches me with a calculative gaze as I sit there in confusion. "I understand your hesitation. I'm sure a decision like this would need to be talked over with Naruto."

Wait, is he serious?

"Uh..." My voice is hoarse. "May I sit down?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Of course." He gestures to the chair.

"This isn't one of your attempts at humor, is it?"

He leans over his desk, frowning as though to show how serious he is. "You've known me for long enough know to recognize when I'm being serious. I want you as my right-hand...uh...woman."

He really is offering me the job.

"You've paid your dues. You're good at your job. You select candidates who thrive and you have built a diverse student body for this school. That said, I'll be honest and tell you, you weren't my first pick."

Typical of him to mix some good with the bad.

"You don't quite have the leadership potential that other people here do. I'm sure you know who they are."

Of course. Sasame.

"You've never really...stood out as something to watch for. Until this summer, that is. I'm not sure if it's your engagement or not, but you've suddenly blossomed into a bright, confident young woman, exactly the kind of person who should be the first contact for our higher caliber applicants, and their parents.

"The way you handled Kyra. Her parents were very impressed by your directness. How did they put it?" He strokes his beard thoughtfully. "Ah, yes. They wanted to thank you for doing what they and four psychologists had not been able to do. I guess Kyra needed to hear it from another woman in your position that she didn't have to force herself to do it all."

Did I? I was pretty sure I crushed her dreams.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she takes a year off between high school and college, which would probably be best for her. I also wouldn't be surprised if she ends up here, a vibrant, cheerful, and more relaxed student thanks to you. Especially after the check her parents wrote in gratitude."

I'm almost in tears. This is nicest thing my boss has ever said to me.

He smiles, and I smile back, the feeling of pride starting to develop from his words.

"Now, I know that Naruto's career is taking off, and that's great for you-and, fingers crossed, if he stays here, great for us as well.

"But because of your special circumstances, I want to offer you a salary increase, plus extra vacation time as well as full health benefits. I hope it's enough to convince you to take the job and persuade you two not to leave."

"I'll take it, thank you so much."

He looks startled. "You don't need to talk to Naruto?"

Naruto. Right. Of course I'd have to talk to Naruto. That's what a normal engaged woman would do. "Of course. We'll talk tonight and I'll give you my answer in the morning."

"Why wait that long?" He picks up his phone. "Ino, could you get me Naruto? He should be with the dean." He covers the mouthpiece with his hand. "You know how those two get. Talk, talk, talk." Then he gets back on. "Naruto! Great to hear your voice. Hey, I was wondering when you're done over there, if you could stop by here? There's someone you might know who has some very exciting news for you." He winks at me. "Five minutes? Sure. I'll tell Hinata to expect you then."

Oh, no. He's here?

I should be scared. I should be dreading his reaction when he finds out I've been spreading rumours that we're engaged.

But then, that was the old me.

I'm the new Hinata now. I'm in shape. I'm being promoted. I have my own home. Best of all, I'm longer longer dependent on him for my future happiness. I've been dreaming of this moment for weeks, planning exactly what to say.

Bring him on.

* * *

After changing my clothes and refreshing my makeup, I try the window in a last-minute urge to escape. Unfortunately, it is nailed shut against the air-conditioner. I really want to take over Udon's job now. In his office, there are three windows.

There's a mild commotion downstairs, alerting me of Naruto's arrival. Ino is shouting "Congratulations" in the loudest voice she can muster without getting into trouble. Some coworkers that I can't identify are screaming for him to sign copies of their books.

Guess this is as ready as I'll ever be. I blow on my ring and gently rub it to a shine. Best money I ever spent.

Before I can figure out how I want to position myself (legs crossed while on my desk or sitting in my chair and swiveling around dramatically, which I've secretly always wanted to do) the door opens and he walks in.

For a moment, my heart leaps, and I feel that familiar old fluttering in my stomach, mostly out of habit. Even after years together, he never failed to send a charge through my body. I used to sigh, wondering why a guy so handsome, so intelligent could ever be interested in someone like me.

"Hey!" I sit up and give him a huge smile, as if we are and have always been extremely close best friends. As if nothing bad had happened between us. "You're back!"

"I'm surprised that it comes as a shock to you." He studies me, standing in his practiced pose, his hands in his pockets.

"You look good. Very good."

"And you've got a stain on your shirt."

Gullible as ever, he immediately looks down at his shirt, looking for the nonexistent stain.

"Gotcha." I laugh at my immature teasing.

He groans. "You may look different, but you haven't changed a bit."

"Have a seat," I say. "Tell me what you've been up to." Poor choice of words. Next thing I know, he'll probably be rambling off the statistics of his book sales, bragging about how so-and-so want to buy rights to his sappy love story.

He hesitates. "You know, when Sarutobi called me, I almost didn't want to come. I've been going out of my way to avoid you."

"Really?" I snip a dead rose hip from the plant that Kiba gave me. "Here we are engaged and you can't be bothered to pop in to say hello. How rude."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about. You and I have to put an end to these rumours." He's about to march over to my desk in some dramatic sense when he catches sight of the white boxes and stops dead. "Don't tell me..."

I shrug.

"Okay, you have really gone too far."

"What?" I ask. "You think I should have gone for something more expensive? I was worried that would be a little too greedy."

"You know what I mean. Putting off answers when someone asks if we're really getting married is bad enough. Planning a wedding, registering for china, and-" he gestures to my hand "-buying a ring is just insane. I'm wondering if you need therapy."

"I knew you still cared," I say, flashing my fake ring.

"Can I see that?"

"Maybe if you're good."

"It can't be real."

"Why not?"

"Because you'd never be able to afford one that big."

"I'll have you know that I have enough money to put a deposit on my own condo. And besides, who says I bought the ring?"

He opens his mouth to say something, and then stops. Then he clears his throat. "You have to stop this charade."

"It's not a charade." I tap my desk thoughtfully. "I think that a charade would be more like you pretending to love me while you slept around behind my back."

His gaze drops downward in shame.

"Maybe I'm actually engaged? How would you know? You don't know everything about me."

"Don't be ridiculous. You're an open book. You always kept badgering me with hints about your Christmas gifts until I

guess way before the twenty-fifth."

That was true.

"Believe what you want to believe. I don't owe you an explanation anymore." I go back to my roses, pruning it.

"Look, besides trying to get you to stop spreading these lies, I'm only here because I'm curious as to the big news that Sarutobi told me about that seems to involve you."

"It does."

"Does it concern me? Because if it does, I'll go and talk to Sarutobi. If not, I don't see the point in staying here."

"No problem. I'll call him up here right now. He's dying to meet you anyway." I pick up the phone to talk to Ino.

"Wait!"

It's too late, because Ino picked up and I am telling her that when Sarutobi has the chance, Naruto would love to see him.

"Wow. Must be nice to be so close that you can just buzz in the boss when you want to," she snaps.

He looks curious. I ignore it, and instead address something else.

"Back to that lie. You have to admit, I had no other choice after you proposed to someone else on national television. What was I supposed to do? Tell everyone that you dumped me?"

He sighs, almost in disgust. "We have been over this I don't know how many times."

"Once, to be exact," I point out.

There is a knock on the door and Sarutobi comes in. He is truly the master of sucking up to people, injecting Naruto with compliments until Naruto is flushed and shaking his hand and doing an extremely bad job at pretending to be modest.

"So you've heard the good news, right?" Sarutobi stops shaking Naruto's hand and puts his arms around my shoulders. "Hope you've given your blessing. I can't wait to have her by my side."

I know that Sarutobi is talking about making me his right-hand woman, as Udon was before, but judging from Naruto's utter confusion, I'm not so sure that's what is getting across. Especially when Sarutobi squeezes my shoulders in a sideways hug.

"I didn't want to lose her, you know? Had to snatch her up before you dragged her off."

Naruto's jaw drops. He looks from Sarutobi to me and back to Sarutobi again, horrified.''

"Trust me. I completely understand if you object." Sarutobi drops his arms and clears his throat, clearly thinking that Naruto is perhaps not please with my promotion. "Let me assure you that I will personally see to it Hinata gets plenty of time off dor her new family. Because I'm betting there'll be lots of babies. Nonstop sex and all that."

The blood has drained from Naruto's face, his normally tanned skin going a pale sickly color, indicating my hints at a romance have taken over his mind. And now, seeing Sarutobi with me, seeing the ring on my finger, the wedding presents in my office, and how Sarutobi is talking about me being by his side and asking Naruto for his blessing, Naruto has come to one horrified conclusion.

I really am engaged. To Sarutobi.

My plan couldn't have worked better.

* * *

A/N: I know, took forever (like always). I was working on homework. Yes, homework! Nah, not summer school, haha. I have AP summer homework. I hope the ending of this chapter makes up for the wait! No Kiba, but I had to address the Naruto thing.


	19. Chapter 20

Posted 7/26/2011

10/15/2011 Update: No need to reread it, I'm just fixing some spelling errors because Notepad didn't have spellcheck and so I didn't catch them (I was typing too quickly).

* * *

"So what does Naruto think about your new job?" Kiba asks from the other side of the bathroom door.

"He's all for it." I press my ear against the wall, trying to figure out what's going on. "Can I look yet?"

"No. I'm not ready yet."

I roll my eyes and stand there patiently. I play with my ring, as it's the only thing I can do to keep myself from kicking down the door (or attempting to). It's a scorching ninety-five degrees today, and I don't know how much longer I will be able to tolerate this.

There is some swearing and the sound of metal hitting the floor. Kiba is taking forever.

Finally, the door opens and there he stands, shirt off. I can't help it; my eyes instinctively lower down his body, and the sight makes my knees go weak.

"Now, I'm ready," he says.

With that, he sweeps his arms dramatically to what I've been craving. My very own shower and bathtub.

And not just any old bathtub either. A highback, claw-foot porcelain tub that he found while working on a restoration. It had been in the back of an antique store for over a year and was covered with moss and weeds where he saw it while helping Neji look for a kitchen sink.

It weighed over two-hundred eighty pounds. It took Kiba, Neji, and also Sasuke (though he didn't help very much) to carry it in, and afterwards Neji slumped onto the couch and refused to move for three hours. The tub also had a funny drain that Kiba's been messing with all day.

But now it's in. And I'm not waiting until the curtain's up. I need that water running over my body now.

Kiba is smiling at my happiness. "Sorry it took so long."

"No, it was worth the wait. You want to do the honors?"

"Me?"

"Well, you did all the work."

"No, thanks. It's enough to see you so giddy about it."

I eagerly slip out of my shoes. "You have to admit, it's been a pain, me coming upstairs every morning to use yours."

Without thinking, I rip off my shirt, remembering too late that Kiba's still in the doorway.

"Might need this." He hands me a towel, and, being a gentleman, looks away and pretends to preoccupy himself with rearranging his tools in the toolbox. "That desperate?"

If only he knew. There have been times, like now, where I've been tempted to spill, _I'm not really marrying Naruto_. But then I think of the consequences and decide that his reaction would be to label me as an insane woman who invented her engagement for attention. Not to mention the long hours he's spent installing my kitchen cabinets, ripping up the floors, just to make the deadline of my wedding.

No. I've let it go too far. There's no way to say it without him hating me.

"Okay then. Enjoy! I'll wait here in case there's any problems." He closes the door and at last I'm alone. Just me and my shower.

I set out everything I bought for the occasion. New shampoo and conditioner, lavender soap, a loofah, a washcloth, and the best exfoliating scrub I could afford. Holding my breath, I turn on the water. It works!

"How's it doing?" he asks through the door.

"No leaks yet," I call back.

"Yet!" Kiba plays at being hurt. "How dare you doubt me."

I drop my clothes in a heap onto the floor. I lift my leg over the high side and step in. The floor is way too smooth. A person could break her neck in here. I'll have to remember to get a bath mat or something. Nevertheless, the water is divine.

Kiba has thoughtfully installed a shower head so it's like I'm standing under a waterfall if I close my eyes. I've always wanted to visit one of those waterfalls, like the kind in the ads for Hawaii. Except I'd be worried about what kind of creepy things would be in the water.

Like snakes.

I somehow sense it before I actually see it, the slithering green tail whipping back and forth in panic as its body makes its way halfway up the tub's sides and the falls down in failure. The tiny head with it's evil slanted eyes darting and retreating toward my feet, blindly searching for escape. Or something to bite.

I stare at it, frozen in place.

_Run_, my brain tells me. _Just get out!_

But I can't, unable to order my body to move, the snake and I trapped in my tub. I hate snakes. I live in fear of snakes. Spiders, okay. Roaches, step on them. Bees, no big deal.

Not snakes.

"H-Help!" I cry hoarsely. I force my voice louder. "Kiba. Help!"

"Hinata?" He pounds on the door. "Are you okay?"

"Snake!"

"Snake?" He sounds puzzled.

"In here. In the bathtub!"

"You've got to be kidding me."

"No, I'm not!" My voice steadily crawls higher and higher in

tone. "It's going for my feet."

"Throw it out."

Touch it? "I can't do that."

"Okay, then you get out and I'll get rid of it."

"It's going to bite me!"

"I'm coming in."

The doorknob turns, and I snatch the towel off the tub's edge. Kiba bursts in expecting to find some sort of large cobra or something because he's completely unimpressed by my dire situation.

"Where is it? I don't see a snake."

"There." I point to the drain, where it has retreated, slithering and wiggling under the shower.

Kiba turns off the water and stares at the creature for a second before he starts howling with laughter. "That? That's a garter snake. A baby."

"Kill it." I inch back, putting as much distance as I can manage.

"I'm not going to kill it. It's harmless." He scoops it up, opens the window, and deposits it outside. "There."

"Oh, my god. I am not going to get into this bath ever again."

"You're shaking," he says, helping me out of the tub. "Here."

He wraps another towel around my shoulders. "You're ophidiophobic. Afraid of snakes."

"That's an understatement. Neji used to torture me all the time when we were little, chasing me with snakes, putting snakes in the canoe. Once, he even put it in my bed."

Paranoia strikes me. "Neji did this, didn't he?"

He is holding me very tightly. "No. No. Neji wouldn't do that.

It was probably trapped under the tub. Yesterday, he was in a patch of weeds. Today, he's in a crazy woman's bath and she's demanding his execution."

I laugh. It is kind of funny when you think of it that way.

"Are there other?" I ask worriedly.

"You want me to look?"

"Yes."

"Will do." He starts to move away, but I grab him.

"Wait. Not yet."

We stand there, me, for the most part, naked against his bare chest. I can smell him, the earthiness, the sweat. We both know my refusal to let him go has nothing to do with reptiles.

"Hinata?" he asks softly. "What is it that you want?"

"I..." I look up at him. It's all in his eyes. Passion. Love. Lust. Whatever. I'll take anything.

"Is it okay if I..." He smooths my wet hair off my forehead.

His kiss starts off gentle, almost curious. Then, sensing no hesitation, he brings me closer, kissing deeper, until I'm left almost gasping for breath.

I don't care what happens next. All I know is that I want him. I want his body against my body. I want him for myself.

Most of all, I want the doorbell to stop ringing.

"Wait." He pushes me away reluctantly. "We can't do this."

"Why not? They'll go away."

"It's not that, its..." He looks at me, then closes his eyes as if he can't be tempted.

"If it's Naruto you're worried about, forget him, I don't care," I blurt out.

"You don't, but..."

"I don't love him. I thought I did, but I was wrong. Very wrong." I don't care what I'm saying anymore. Why won't he just kiss me again? Why won't those people go away?

"Hinata!" The voice is unmistakably my mother's. "Come on!

We know you're in there!"

"It's my mother!" I gasp. All my sexual desires vanish in an instant. "What's she doing here?"

Kiba is shaking his head. "I was trying to tell you this before you brought up Naruto. There's a surprise bridal shower. That's why we couldn't do...you know, what I think we were about to do."

"Oh." I flush with embarrassment.

"Your sister and Tenten and some other women. Tenten asked me to keep you away from the porch until they were ready.

"Well," I snap. "You've certainly managed a fine distraction."

"Wait." He grabs me by my shoulders. "I completely forgot about the shower just now. It never crossed my mind."

"Really."

"Look, I know you've been hurt by some man and, because of that, you don't trust me. And maybe you shouldn't, because you're weeks away from being another man's wife and it's taken all of my willpower to respect and honor that and there have been moments, like now, when my willpower is no match for how much I want you." He says this all in one breath and is almost panting by the time he finishes it.

I am speechless. He's been holding himself back because he thinks I'm getting married when all along I wasn't sure he even cared.

"Kiba...I had no idea."

"You don't love him, do you?"

"...No, I don't."

"Then I can wait. Like I said before, I'm a very patient man. When you're free, I'll still be here. Until then, it's up to you."

I open my mouth to reply, when I hear footsteps pounding down the hallway.

"Hinata, where the hell..." Tenten runs past the bathroom door, and then, catching sight of us, steps back slowly. "Holy shit! What have you two been up to?"

"Hi, Tenten," Kiba says as he slides past her. "Hinata's running a bit behind."

When he's gone, we stare at each other. "There was a snake," I say.

"Oh, I bet there was. And let me guess...it was huge."

* * *

A/N: I have about two chapter planned out and then...it's over! Thanks for sticking with me for so long, but it has to end sometime. I love all of your feedback. I might add an epilogue, but I'm not sure yet. And I probably won't include a sequel because sequels usually aren't quite as good as the original story.

**Question**: As a writer, what's your worst genre to write about? Mine is probably mystery, 'cause most of you probably already know who Naruto is with. Oops...?

**Question 2**: I'm wondering if you guys think that the Naruto manga is still worth reading. I stopped at around...chapter 200 out of the current 500...? (I know! Not even half of the manga!) Thing is, sometimes it goes on so extensively it gets quite boring. The thing that always irked me was the fact that everyone is super obsessed with the Sharingan when there's other equally good bloodlines like the Rinnengan or Byakugan (Come on, you can see the insides of someone and almost 360 degrees around you and it doesn't drive you insane from overuse and you don't go blind.) So, do you guys think it's still worth reading? Since my stories don't follow the plotlone anyways it doesn't matter if I read it.


	20. Chapter 21

Posted 10/15/11

A/N: Okay, so I know I haven't updated (don't hate me...but it's not high on my priority list so I only write when I have spare time), but it's because my classes have so much homework and the teachers don't explain anything so I have to figure it all out to take the tests that I keep failing...but on the bright side, I realized I can use Google Documents to type after using it for Honors Chemistry. So lucky you guys!

I hope you guys are still interested in reading this, and I know you really want to see Hinata and Kiba finally get together, and that should be the chapter after this one, so just hang in there please! The ending is huge and was hard for me to write, but I'm satisfied and hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and the wedding invitation was copied off a Google picture and just adjusted (not my most creative moment; I just wanted to get you guys a chapter so you can replace it in your mind with whatever you want) so that isn't mine either. And please don't attempt to call the number!

* * *

Tenten has asked me not to tell anyone the truth until her engagement shower. Then, after that, she says we can come clean together about faking an engagement. Otherwise, she's afraid that is certain people (i.e. Neji) find out I'm not engaged, then they will suspect her as well.

"One week," she pleads. "By then I'll have done my fancy party and gotten all the gifts and proven my point. Besides, what's the rush? Kiba said he would wait for you."

He might. But I don't think I can.

We are in the bridal department, where Tenten is trying on wedding dressed for her engagement party. Several of her family members have been feuding on who gets to buy the dress, who gets to arrange the catering, and who gets to buy the floral arrangements. She figured buying the dress herself would save a few lives.

On the other hand, Mom is hysterical as my wedding day approaches. Multiple calls from her a day, with voice mails at least ten minutes each. I laugh and reassure her, but she's not the only one getting hysterical.

I'm beginning to think it's gone too far.

Over a hundred wedding invitations have been sent out, reading:

_You are cordially invited to celebrate the wedding of _

_Hinata Hyuuga_

_and_

_Naruto Uzumaki_

_On August 30th_

_at 2 o'clock_

_At 261 Hokage Road_

_followed by a reception_

_R.S.V.P._

_385-1854-2765_

"Tenten in a wedding dress," I say, fluffing her skirt out. "Like a hooker in a nun's habit.(1)"

She turns to look at it from the side, and sucks in a stomach. "Me neither. But don't be so smug. I never thought you'd be able to pull off a lie for this long."

"You thought I'd cave?"

"I though Naruto would come to his senses, realize what a great person you are, dump that mystery...bitch, apologize, and beg for you to take him back and marry him. And then everything would be in place for the wedding you planned."

"You thought he would marry me? What about all that independent, feminist stuff you were spouting a few months ago?"

She shrugged. "Admit it, though. There was a part of you that wanted everything to wind up turning out perfect."

I open my mouth to objec, but it's true. Yes, when it all began, I secretly hoped that Naruto would return and see the errors of his ways, that he would get down on one knee and beg for forgiveness.

"That's not going to happen," I finally say. "It's over between us."

"Let's hope so." She zips up an evening dress, a petite, lacy gown with the faintest touch of pink that made her skin glow. "The thing is, there's a new associate who wants my job, and her brother is in the navy and he's been snooping around. Guess it doesn't take much to find out who's a captain and who isn't."

"You mean she knows..." I pause nervously.

"There is not Captain Ne Hizuka," she finishes. She smacks herself on the forehead. "Why could I have chose a more common name? Why did I have to go with Ne Hizuka?"

"Why did you even have to say he was a captain. It would've been simpler."

She sighs. "I thought it would impress Neji," she grudgingly admits.

"I think he would've been jealous just knowing you were marrying someone."

She sighs, then shakes her head as if to get rid of the thought. "So what do you think of this one?" She twirls around slightly.

"It looks great." And it does. She looks nice in anything. "So what are you going to do about Captain Hizuka?"

"I'll just call in a favor from one of my old friends. I can intoduce him as my fiancé, and I'll just say that he has to keep his identity a secret for national security purposes and that Captain Hizuka was his cover name. Or something like that."

I think about it. "You read too many spy novels." I unzip her dress. "Or maybe you could just tell everyone that you and your best friend pretended to be engaged so we could receive the same things married women get. Make them cry at the unfairness of our sexist system."

"Yeah, right. I don't think my parents-" I cut her off.

"Do you hear that?" A muffled buzzing that I finally identify as my cell phone, which we then have to dig out from under the heaps of clothing.

"Hi, this is the Hokage Times. I'm trying to reach a Hinata Hyuuga," the feminine voice informs me.

"The Hokage Times!" I mouth to Tenten in fright. Please don't be about Naruto and his stupid book. Lying to my family and friends is one thing. Lying to the newspapers is a whole other story.

"We've received your engagement announcement and we just want to fact-check it."

"_What_ engagement announcement?" I ask in confusion.

"Well, you sent it to us, didn't you?"

"Your mother," Tenten whispers to me.

My mother. Curse her. "Right. Mom did. Listen, you don't have to publish-"

"But we want to," the newspaper lady says. "Naruto Uzumaki is, well..._Naruto Uzumaki_. And while I don't watch TV personally, I know that's where he first proposed. It's a huge story that will appeal to the romantic side of many women out there."

"You _really_ don't need to print that. An engagement announcement is so unnecessary. And I really don't want-"

"Also, we want to consider your wedding for our Sunday feature when you do get married next month. I know it's very exciting."

It is not exciting. It's horrifying. My mind automatically pictures a front page story:

**LOSER SCAMS POPULAR WRITER**

"**I did it to get stuff," she claims.**

Her voice cuts through my nightmarish daydream. "Mr. Uzumaki said he would love to do it."

My eyes narrow. Did I hear that right?

Tenten has heard it too, because she says, "Naruto?"

"Perhaps you haven't had a chance to talk since we spoke this morning," she hastily adds, sensing the tension which she probably chalked up to pre-wedding stress. "He was the one who suggested the feature. Our editors think it could possibly qualify, though we can't promise."

Could it be...that Naruto is such an egotistical attention-whore(2) for publicity that he would lie about an engagement just to be featured in the _Hokage Times_?

To prove that they talked, the newspaper lady rattles off his phone number, his mother's maiden name, their first dog's name, and even the name of their housekeeper.

Yup, that's him all right.

"...I'll have to call you back," I say. "Something just came up."

I click my phone shut.

* * *

Naruto is nowhere to be found. I try his apartment, his office, the campus library, and even the nearby Starbucks and public library (he likes to sit there and type on his laptop, the pretentious idiot).

This is not what I need right now. It's hardly okay for me to do it and I was the one that was dumped. Though I know only an idiot writer with no marketing experience whatsoever would turn down such a thing.

I wonder what his fiancée would think of it.

I quickly shake the thought away.

* * *

It's seven at night and I'm still at the office. I haven't been able to unpack into my new office, and I haven't even been able to make a quick nameplate to slap on the table. I'm too busy with the paperwork to even give the boxes cluttering my room a second glance.

I hear a strange sound and look up, nearly jumping at seeing Sasame's face practically two inches away from mine.

"I need to talk to you," she says in a strange, icy tone. "It's important."

She's been furious at me since I stole Udon's job from her.

"I'm all ears," I say, trying to sound cheerful.

She slaps her manicured hand on my desk with annoyance at my façade, and hisses, "You're not marrying Naruto Uzumaki. You never were. You've been scamming everyone, including Sarutobi, to get the job that _I_ deserve. And I'm going to make absolutely certain that you get fired."

Well. That was short and to the point. I lean back in my fancy swivel chair, and, with a rush of courage, decide to call her bluff.

"Sasame, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you do. I wouldn't have gone snooping if you hadn't barged into my room ranting that Naruto had dumped you for me because he didn't find you attractive."

"Did I say that?"

"Don't deny it," she scoffs. "You did. And even if you claim you didn't, I have proof that you were never engaged.

"At first, I thought your ramblings as your typical random rants, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Ino tells me he never calls you. Never."

"He has my cell," I retort.

"He has only been to the office once to see you since your quote unquote 'engagement'."

I have no reply for that.

"And then I heard the rumor that you and Naruto broke up, and that he'd been seeing someone else for a few months now."

I straighten up. "No kidding. Who?" Her eyes glint like a cat who caught a mouse. "_Who _ would believe such a ridiculous rumor?"

She gives me a wry smile. "Pathetic, Hinata. Naruto has already moved on, but you're still clinging to the desperate strand of hope that he might come back to you someday."

I feel exhausted. I'm too tired to deal with this anymore.

"Alright Sasame, what do you want?"

She smirks triumphantly. "Quit your job. Tell Sarutobi that you want to go back to your old one and that I should have the job you _know_ I deserve. Do that and our secret will remain a secret. Don't and I'll tell Sarutobi everything."

"You got yourself a deal," I say after quiet contemplation.

"You mean you'll quit?"

"No. I'll take my chances with Sarutobi."

Her voice spikes up hysterically. "I have indisputable proof that you've been lying. Sarutobi will fire you on the spot. He would probably even make it so you'd never get hired by another university again."

I shrug, turn off the light and close the door, leaving Sasame in the office she so desperately desires.

* * *

I expected, after her dramatic performance yesterday, that Sasame would have been waiting right outside Sarutobi's office to swoop in and get me kicked out. But she didn't. She was in her office all day and only slipped out every once in a while to use the copier, faxing machine, or get something to drink.

The next day was the same.

And the day after that.

It was so annoying. Just get on with it already.

I imagined getting humiliated, being fired in front of everyone, being brought out by the security guards, being yelled at by Sarutobi in those three languages that he's fluent in.

Nothing.

She wasn't my only problem though. There was also Kiba.

We had managed to avoid each other all week. He left for work before dawn, while I stayed late until I was sure he would be asleep when I got back. I did my laundry Saturday. He did his Sunday. We even took out our trash at different times lest we bump shoulders and dissolve into a heap of steamy sex.

I couldn't wait until Tenten's shower was over so I could finally tell him the truth. I dreamed of confessing everything, and Kiba accepting me, forgiving me, and then we would have a wonderful life together.

But the universe can be very cruel.

* * *

"I met Naruto."

This is the first thing Kiba has said to me since the bathroom incident.

"What do you mean, you met Naruto?"

"He stopped by this afternoon to see the house. Took him long enough." I could hear a subtle undertone of something in his voice. I couldn't quite pin it, but I could tell he didn't like Naruto already.

My body collapses in my chair into a weak and achy mass. Naruto must have told Kiba. Then again, there was that odd thing with the _Hokage Times_. Maybe he's just playing with me.

"What did he say?" I ask cautiously.

"He said he loves the house. The kitchen...the cabinets...the bathroom. He can't wait to move in."

"But..." Move in? "He's not..."

Kiba cuts me off, the same odd edge to his voice. "Don't bother, Hinata. I think I made my feelings clear the other day. I thought you had too...in that kiss."

My lips tingle at the memory.

"Then again, maybe it was just a kiss."

"It wasn't. It was more. Much more." I blurt.

"You mean, it could have been more, if you weren't getting married. A last fling before settling down into your perfect life with him." He starts walking up the stairs.

What is _that_ supposed to mean?

"Kiba, wait..." I run after him. "I made it up. I was never engaged to Naruto. He proposed to someone else and left me with the job of explaining to everyone that he actually dumped me. So I lied and said he proposed and then it got out of hand, and...oh, god...you probably don't believe me, and even if you do, you think I'm crazy, but..."

I'm crying, sobbing at this point, barely able to get my words out, but Kiba doesn't seem to care. His hands are in his pocket, and he looks at me with this puzzled expression. Like he thinks I'm crazy. Which, right now, I think I was. I still am, for carrying on this charade.

"I'll rent my part of the house out. I'll be out by Monday."

And then he's gone.

* * *

A/N:...So please tell me what you think...I worked really hard at the end to make it extremely sad, even though it was pretty short so it probably wasn't as strong as I was trying to make it.

(1) In case you don't know, I just mean the long black dress thing nun's wear. And yeah, I don't think Hinata would say that but I couldn't think of any other comparison.

(2)Sorry. That's the only way I could describe it. Also very OOC of Hinata.


	21. Chapter 22

A/N: Hmm...I should be studying for school...but I actually have a day off for Veteran's day and I rarely get a chance to write anymore...

I hope you guys haven't gotten bored of me...I'm so sorry how long it took me but I couldn't find any time. But here it is: the last chapter!

A quick refresher so you don't have to re-read the chapter before this...Oh, and please excuse the super fast pace of this chapter. I figured you'd rather want to know the end, or else it would drag on for another two months.

* * *

_Kiba cuts me off, the same odd edge to his voice. "Don't bother, Hinata. I think I made my feelings clear the other day. I thought you had too...in that kiss."_

_My lips tingle at the memory._

_"Then again, maybe it was just a kiss."_

_"It wasn't. It was more. Much more." I blurt._

_"You mean, it could have been more, if you weren't getting married. A last fling before settling down into your perfect life with him." He starts walking up the stairs._

_What is _that_ supposed to mean?_

_"Kiba, wait..." I run after him. "I made it up. I was never engaged to Naruto. He proposed to someone else and left me with the job of explaining to everyone that he actually dumped me. So I lied and said he proposed and then it got out of hand, and...oh, god...you probably don't believe me, and even if you do, you think I'm crazy, but..."_

_I'm crying, sobbing at this point, barely able to get my words out, but Kiba doesn't seem to care. His hands are in his pocket, and he looks at me with this puzzled expression. Like he thinks I'm crazy. Which, right now, I think I was. I still am, for carrying on this charade._

_"I'll rent my part of the house out. I'll be out by Monday."_

_And then he's gone._

* * *

Chapter 22 (?)

Tenten has sent out a limousine to pick me up to take me to her engagement shower. While extravagant, the limo is actually quite thoughtful, because I don't really wish to wear my brand new silk dress while taking the bus.

Then again, I don't really want to go anywhere or do anything. I just want to wait for Kiba. That is, if he ever comes back.

Outside, the rain pours down in nearly horizontal sheets as I try to stay dry beneath my tiny umbrella and rush to the limo.

The driver is quiet, a polite hello is all I receive. He drives through the streets, at quite a fast speed considering the near blinding rain washing over the front window relentlessly. He stops near a grand hotel, pulling next to a large, elegant building surrounded by flowers that are getting crushed by the heavy rain. The driver informs me that he'll be waiting just around the corner in case I want to leave early.

"I won't want to leave early," I say through the pounding rain.

He shrugs and drives off.

"You should ask him to stay," says the doorman. "That's what he's paid for. Next time, if he comes back, I'll make him stick around. You never know when you'll need to go home."

There is no home without Kiba.

Tenten is wearing heels and a gorgeous Chinese-style silk print dress. Her hair is actually down instead of in her traditional buns (or the single, slightly messy bun she sometimes has to look more "professional" at work) and it nearly reaches her waist. Despite the length, it was surprisingly healthy and silky.

She's much more refined than I'm used to, and I just stare at her for a moment before I can snap out of it and hand her my engagement gift. The happy atmosphere lifts my spirits just a bit.

"Hey, where's Kiba? I invited him too, you know."

And just like that, they crash back down.

"We had a falling out," I say, trying to leave out details. This is her big night, after all.

"A little falling or a big falling out?"

"Like I jumped out of an airplane without a parachute." I take a deep breath and explain what happened. "It doesn't matter though, because I don't think he believed me. He said he'll be gone by Monday."

She's looks at me with sympathy and a bit of guilt. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I made you wait."

I shrug, trying to seem unaffected. "Well. We'll see if true love can actually conquer all."

"It will," she says firmly as we enter the lavish room. One wall has a large window that would probably have a fantastic view of the ocean if it hadn't been raining.

The men are in tuxes, and women in glittering designer dresses. There's a band, and waiters serving appetizers and champagne. The air is scented with Chanel and other perfume.

"It's perfect. All that's missing is a fiancé."

"Not anymore. There he is." She points to two men engaged in conversation.

I start in surprise, then check again just to be sure. That can't be.

"...Naruto?"

"Naruto?" she repeats. She takes another look. "Not Naruto. Though...shit. Is that Naruto?"

As if he had sensors that picked up when someone spoke his name, he turned towards us, despite being across the room, and I can sense an air of triumph around him, and a cocky smile to his face.

"Who let _him_ in?"

"Neji," I say, finally catching sight of his conversation partner. "I should go, Tenten. Naruto probably just told Neji the truth and I don't want to be here for what's going to happen. Sorry."

I turn to leave, only to be yanked back harshly by my upper arm. "You can't go. It's my shower," she pleads.

It's too late anyway. Neji and Naruto are headed towards us. Neji is smiling, while Naruto is focused on me. I can't say that I'm not frightened.

"Hinata," he coos, taking my hand and kissing it, his whole being _oozing_ with the falseness he uses in front of press. A true (fake) gentleman. "I thought you'd never come." Before I can react, he plants a soft kiss on my lips.

Several people spot us, and recognizing Naruto, they applaud. Some people have actually taken out their phones and are taking a picture of us.

He pulls away from the kiss, but keeps his arm around me, pulling me against him. "I need to be alone with you. There's so much I have to say."

All I can think is that I need to keep breathing.

"I was beginning to wonder whether you two were really engaged or if you just made it all up," Neji says.

My brain nearly shuts down, and I can practically feel it fire off panicked sparks.

"Because that's what Tenten did, you know. She faked it."

"I never fake it," Tenten retorts. "What I want, I get." But there's a playful edge to her voice. She's smiling at Neji like he's her hero. Like he's her...No. Neji would never in a million years go along with a prank like this.

"Are you saying that this shower was a scam?" Naruto's voice startles me. It's so close to my ear, I can almost feel his breath.

"Payback is more like it," Tenten says nonchalantly.

Neji shrugs. "Why not? Let's face it. Tenten's never going to get married. I'm never going to get married. This is a once in a lifetime chance to experience what it's all about, like you and Hinata."

Wait, so he thinks we _are_ getting married?

"You agreed to be her fake fiancé?" I ask.

They laugh for some strange reason, and then suddenly Tenten reaches over to kiss Neji, right on the lips. It's supposed to be a fun, playful kiss, but they stay like that. I have a feeling it's one of those kisses where the whole world melts away and it's just the two of them.

Like what I felt with Kiba.

Naruto grabs my hand and tugs me away as I gape at my brother. He dives in for another kiss while I'm still frozen, but I snap out of it in time.

"Quit it!" I shove him back slightly. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Doing? I'm treating you like I should've so many years ago. I'm treating you like my lover."

The statement shocks me, and I'm tempted to dash out to the limousine, but Naruto is still holding onto me tightly.

"I know what's going on," he says in a low, quiet voice. "I know what you've been up to."

"What have I been up to?" I ask cautiously.

"Sarutobi called me last week. Said that Sasame showed up with that email I had sent you saying that we weren't really engaged."

I gasp in surprise. "That is so illegal for her to snoop in my personal email," I cry.

"Not important." His lips brush against my cheek slightly and, to my discomfort, I can see flashes in the distance. They're taking picture of us. "It made me realize what an idiot I was."

"You mean, thinking Sarutobi and I were engaged." Because, honestly, that was pretty foolish.

"No, I mean letting you go." Some more flashes go off. "Do you think there's somewhere we can go and get away from the press?"

"Why do we need to be alone?" I ask.

He agrees to sign a few autographs for his fans, and I quickly scan the room for an exit. Nope, Tenten's at that one, and...shoot, Neji's at the other.

He pulls me to the big window, out onto the balcony. The rain has stopped, but the sky is still gloomy with gray clouds. In an unexpected act of chivalry, he takes off his jacket and places it around my shoulders.

"Would you mind telling me what you're doing? There's no press out here. You don't have to put on a show." He just smiles and tries to kiss me again, but I pull away. "You're freaking me out. One minute I'm your clingy girlfriend that you're not sexually attracted to, and the next I'm..." I gesture widely, at a loss for words.

He sighs. "Hinata, I love you. I have always loved you and always will. I didn't realize that until I came back expecting the same shy, mousy girl but discovered a strong woman. Honestly, I was relieved at first. We were through. I was free."

I narrow my eyes. What kind of love confession is this? But at least it sounded more like him.

"But I kept thinking back to you and Sarutobi. It wasn't right for you to be stuck with that old geezer. I kept thinking of you and him making..." He pauses, looking uncomfortable. "...babies."

A snort escapes me unwillingly.

"I should be the only one you do that with," he continues.

"So...in other words, you want to get back together."

He closes his eyes, as if this is a huge life or death decision. "Yeah. I want to start over."

"What about your lack of sexual attraction an all that?" I snap.

"A lie. You put me on the spot, and I couldn't think of any good reason."

I laugh triumphantly in my head, shocking myself. But really, I deserve it. Of course he couldn't think of anything bad!

"Then what about the other woman?" I ask.

"I made her up. Here was my chance to appeal to all my female fans, but I didn't want to get married yet. So I just made it up."

He kneels suddenly, and I feel something cold slip onto my finger. Even under the dark sky, it glitters. It's surrounded by two sapphires on either side.

"Please, Hinata, will you marry me?"

My heart leaps into my throat.

It's a real proposal. It's everything I ever dreamed of.

But it was from the wrong man.

* * *

The rain has started back up again, a heavy drenching rain. The doorman tries to get me to stay inside, but I trudge out, heading for the top of the hill.

I have this strange desire to just be out, alone, on a hill in a storm.

How ironic. Because I'm terrified of being alone.

I've been learning that anything worth having requires taking a risk. Of course, you could live your life out safely, but ironically, it brings us closer to suffering and death.

"Hinata!"

My heart jumps. Kiba is coming up the hill. His tie is undone and his shirt is open. He is absolutely drenched, and has probably been out in the rain all night.

"I've been looking for you all night. I went to the party, but no one knew where you had gone."

"You came to find me?" I let a little hope leak through. Maybe, just maybe, he was looking for me, and not just to tell me that the basement was leaking or something.

"The doorman said you left, but you weren't home. Then I tried Naruto's house." He pants, out of breath. "I'm so glad I found you. I thought I lost you."

And then I realized it. "You _did_ know, didn't you. You figured it out from the beginning."

He is silent. He takes off his jacket, which is dry inside, and drapes it across my shoulders. A vicious wind makes me stumble and fall against him, but he doesn't push me away.

"Why didn't you say something?" I demand.

"Why were you lying?" he retorts back. "I could never figure it out. There were so many times I just wanted to ask you, but I decided to let you decide to tell me the truth. But you weren't ready, not until I said I was going to leave."

"I'm such an idiot," I murmur. "And now you're going for real."

"Only because Naruto proposed to you already. He showed me the ring this afternoon. Your dream was coming true. I couldn't ruin it."

I hold up my left hand and am instantly confused. My hand is completely ring free.

"It's gone! I lost it." I feel shocked, but also slightly relieved.

"Naruto's ring?"

"No," I say, shaking my head. "I never took his ring. I meant the fake one that I bought."

Suddenly he bends down and kisses me. The rain is falling harder and harder and the wind is blowing fiercely around us, and there's a chance that we could get struck by lightning. But I don't care, because I couldn't imagine a better way to die, in Kiba's arms.

"So you turned Naruto down?"

"Of course." My mind is still caught in the kiss. "Could you do that again? I love it when you kiss me."

He chuckled, baring his fangs in a grin. "Let's get out of the rain first, okay?"

* * *

"So let me get this straight. You fell in love with me when Tenten and I first went to look at the house?"

"Yup. Love at first sight. I thought that only happened in sappy romance movies, but I saw you, and I just _knew_ it."

"Before we even argued about Naruto?"

"I think that was when it really struck me. I love it when you're angry. You were so set on defending him. Like that time when Sasuke spilled about what Naruto said about you not being sexually attractive, which, by the way, is a total lie."

"I told you to forget that!"

"That's what made me follow you and gave me the urge to kiss you."

"...Do you hate me for lying to you?"

He sighs.

"I don't like lies, but I've done some stupid things in the past that I regret."

I rest my head against his chest. "Tenten says there's no such things as coincidences."

He runs a hand through my hair. I lean towards him; it feels nice. "She's right. There isn't. Everything happens for a reason." He kisses me on my forehead, softly.

I sigh, but smile. I have never felt so content.

* * *

My mother is in hysterics, because I just told her Naruto and I broke off the engagement. Which was technically true.

Never mind the fact that we were engaged for all of two minutes, which I sent gawking at the huge ring. You _can_ tell the difference between real and fake.

I have to admit, it was hard to say no. But it was harder to imagine a future with Naruto.

He couldn't believe it when I gently refused. I guess he thought I was still bitter, because he said, "I said I'm sorry. Can we just put it behind us and move on?"

He pleaded and argued and wouldn't take no for an answer until I said, "Sometimes, if you wait too long, it's too late."

My mom's wails bring me out of my memories. "We have to call everyone and cancel!"

"I'll take care of it, don't worry," I say.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Tenten and Neji walking up, holding hands.

"Who died?" Neji asks.

"Naruto!" my mom wails, and he freezes.

"What?"

"She means that she's upset because Naruto and I broke up."

Mom sniffles. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'll find a way to pay for it all."

Dad shoots me an incredulous look. "Do you know how much the deposit alone costs?"

Tenten immediately snaps to. "Do you have the contracts? There's still three weeks. I'm sure they can't hold you fully to it."

Mom sniffles again. "Could you get the contracts, honey?"

"Oh, yeah. I'll get them to you on Monday," Dad says to Tenten. My eyes narrow in suspicion. He's the type of person that would sit her right down and not let her go until he got all his money back.

Neji turns to Tenten. "I need to talk to you alone."

"About the contracts?"

He hums in thought. "Kind of."

They step outside, and Mom excuses herself to the bathroom. As soon as the room is cleared, I turn to face my dad.

"You knew. You knew that I made the whole thing up."

His face shows no reaction, but I spot his hands shaking slightly.

"Does Mom...?"

"Oh, god no. And don't let her know either. It would break her heart. I never sent out the invitations and convinced her to let me handle the bills. I just called them and said my daughter was experimenting something and if they could be patient."

"Why didn't you stop me?"

"I tried. Remember, I said I saw Naruto on your porch? I didn't know you would push it so far. I couldn't figure out why you felt the need to lie to you family, but I trusted you. You were the good child, and you would've had a valid reason as to why you did that."

Tears pricked my eyes, and my chest tightens. "I'm so sorry..."

"It's fine. As long as you've figured everything out, then it was worth it."

I hug him. He is absolutely the best father in the world.

"Good news!" Neji yells, interrupting us. "We've solved the problem of the called-off wedding."

Mom rushes back excitedly. "I just knew you'd find a way, Neji. How?"

He squeezes Tenten's hand, and she smiles shyly at him. "Instead of Naruto and Hinata, it'll be Tenten and me. I've already asked her and she said yes. And she already has a dress, so we're good to go."

The whole house is silent.

* * *

Epilogue:

Neji and Tenten got married in our backyard under the big oak tree. It was quite nice, and all of Tenten's extended family came. (I never knew she had so many relatives.)

She wore the dress she fell in love with weeks before when we were at the store.

"One time. One time!" she cried between her spouts of morning sickness. "Just one time and I get knocked up." But I knew that she was secretly pleased.

For the record, I returned every gift I received. The money gifts were donated to charity, with receipts going to the people who sent it to me.

The best part?

Well...It was a fall evening, and Kiba and I are walking along a trail towards the hill near Tenten's engagement party. The leaves were changing to their maple orange color and the air was developing that nice biting chill.

"Summer's over." Kiba says.

"Yeah. It was a great summer. Hot, though. And busy."

"Hot and busy." He smirks, his eyes twinkling naughtily.

I poke him in his side, and then I notice something in the grass, twinkling.

"Oh, my god. My ring!" And there in the grass is my fake cubic zirconium that I had lost weeks ago. "How is it still here? The lawnmowers would have wrangled it."

"Maybe you should keep it. It could be a sign." He's up to something.

I looked at it nostalgically, holding it up to the sun. It sparkled, giving off rays of pinks and yellows.

"You know what? I'm not going to keep this ring."

"What? Why not?"

"Because I don't need it. I lived my whole life thinking I wouldn't find happiness without it, but I was wrong. I've already found it."

And with that, I toss the ring as hard as I can away from me.

Kiba stares at me. "Hinata! I can't believe you did that!"

"It felt good. Are you proud of me?"

But he's not proud. He's in shock.

"That was real!" he's shouting.

"Real?" I laugh. "It wasn't real. It cost, like, thirty dollars."

"No, it didn't." He's searching desperately through the grass. "I made it for you."

"Platinum?"

"Yes," he said sadly.

"...Diamond?"

He nods.

"...And you made it yourself?"

Finally, he sighs. "It's gone."

"Maybe we can find it in the morning."

"And if we do," he asks slowly, "would you wear it?"

"Why wouldn't I? It's lovely."

"You know what I mean."

"No. What do you mean?"

He laughs slightly. "Now I'm kind of afraid to ask. After seeing what you did to the ring, I'm kind of scared you'll do the same to me."

"Life is all about risks," I reply. "So I may toss you across the field. I may not. You won't know unless you try."

He takes a deep breath. "Would you like to get married?"

"Someday," I say.

He raises an eyebrow. "I mean to me."

"To you? Well...any man who doesn't get mad when his bride-to-be throws away his handmade ring is bound to be the best husband ever, wouldn't you say?"

"Is that a yes?"

I take his hand and place a ring onto his palm.

"After all this, I've learned how to tell a real from a fake," I murmur as he slides it onto my finger.

Like they say, good things come to those who wait.

But I think better things come to those who don't.

* * *

A/N: I just wanted to say that the heavy rain in the beginning is supposed to reflect Hinata's mood, in case you didn't understand why I described it so much. Well, that and it was just a fun visual image to imagine.

And I bet you were all like, "What? The other woman was imaginary? How boring." Yeah...well...Eh.

It would have been longer, but I decided to cut out some stuff to get to the point so you wouldn't have to read my rambling descriptions and pointless. And the Epilogue wasn't long enough for me to want to make it a separate chapter.


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